The Gift of Life
by SunLove
Summary: Chelsea is as normal as any other human out there. Her love life is nothing extraordinary either, but when three hedgehogs are brought to her she looks at life at a different angle. Now a new single mother Chelsea's emotions are put to the test and her life finally takes the spark she's always wanted and needed. Rated T just incase. Sonic, Shadow and Silver/ Brothers/ Spiritual
1. Normal

New story :)

**_Read this. It's important!_**

_Before I start I just wanted to say this story wont revolve around the more infant stages. I will have a few chapters written about it though. This story will greatly focus on the hedgehogs when they're older but don't fret. I will have another story written focusing on the times when Sonic, Shadow and Silver are children. I'm probably going to write it after this story is finished or maybe during this story...you never know. Anyway, so if this story seems rushed in the beginning this is why. Also, if you see a difference in my writing, it's because I'm trying to improve my writing and I'm trying out different styles constantly. Thank you for letting me waste your time. _

I hope you like it and I've been wanting to write this for a while.

All mistakes are my fault and pointing them out is greatly appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** Sonic Characters belong to SEGA. Chelsea belongs to me

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Chapter 1: Normal

Chelsea was a normal woman with a few exceptions.

At the age of 22 she was in college earning her bachelor's degree. Quite young, but she sets high extenders for herself.

She sat in her office tapping the desk the silver monitor was on. She quietly hummed to herself. A small page suddenly popped up and Chelsea seemed to gasp. She sat at the edge of her cushiony seat and held her breath.

One minute.

Two minutes.

She needed to remember to breathe.

Coffee brown eyes turned to the size of dinner plates and a big relived sigh broke through her light brown lips. She pushed her chair from the computer and jumped from the black leather chair. Chelsea lifted her arms in the air and hopped on the bed closest to her.

On the computer screen it read: Congratulations , you passed. Grade A.

A squeal, she could no longer suppress, erupted from the tall lady. Her mini celebration ended as she panted while sitting on the edge of the guest room bed.

_I'm getting to old for jumping on the bed._

For the rest of that day, that faithful day of April 16,2016, Chelsea showed off her fluoride stained teeth with an ear-splitting grin.

Steam emitted from the upstairs bathroom. Chelsea hopped out of the cloud white tub and grabbed her favorite purple towel off the rack. She wrapped the fluffy towel around her body as she grabbed a heavier beige towel and wrapped her hair with it. She skipped to her room in a blissful daze. Today was probably the best day of her life in years. Chelsea rummaged through her drawer filled with night gowns and picked her favorite one; yellow gown that ended mid thigh and had a happy yellow sponge that everyone loved so much. She might have been 22 but that didn't stop her from loving SpongeBob. She slipped the yellow gown over her towel-covered head with little difficulty. The 22 year old un-wrapped the towel on her head and disposed it. As she headed back to her room she passed a large mirror in the hallway and decided to stop and look at herself.

Chelsea looked at herself and couldn't stop smiling. She had finally done it. She was only two degrees away from earning her doctorates. She straightened her back and couldn't help but feel proud. She was going to prove all those stereotypes she met wrong.

(Description time people, isn't that so exciting! 'A tomato is thrown')

Chelsea was considered tall for her age. She was standing at a whopping five foot eight. She didn't think she was that tall but you never know these days. She was African American but she wasn't the common type. Her father was from England and her mother was from a country called Ghana that also followed British customs. So, right now, you can rule out words like: ain't, dat, dey, finna (I hate that word so much; it's not even a word) and so on. Her father was super strict when it came to the English language. If he caught you ever saying words like that, you would have regretted coming out of your mother's womb.(I shudder when I hear the word ain't) Moving on, she talked like any other literate person but had a subtle British accent you could catch on certain words. Chelsea was slim. Her thighs were a little bit on the heavier side though. She swore that the extra ten pounds she was carrying was all in her thighs. She would have to fix that during her break. As chocolate eyes rose she cringed at her hips. Oohh she couldn't believe the size of her hips. Let's just say they were defiantly ten inches wider than her waist. She absolutely despised her hips. Chelsea couldn't look at it anymore. She turned a little to the left and instantly regretted it. She wouldn't spare a glance at her butt; the very thing that made her back curve at a dangerous level. The very thing that weighed her down all the time. The very thing that attracted wondering eyes. She felt something similar to electricity run down her spine. Ughh she hated her rear. Why couldn't it be a little smaller? Pushing away her previous thoughts Chelsea couldn't help but be proud of the hour glass figure she achieved over the years. Her ego slightly heightened when she took a look at her face. She didn't consider herself beautiful but she was decent. Her eyes were shaped similar to a Japanese person's (So I've been told). Her eyelids were naturally half closed and her nose was small. (People always say I have a cute nose because it's so small…-_-) She was thankful it was small though, any bigger and it would've thrown her whole face off; although she did have breathing troubles from time to time. Her lips were plump as any other African's but hers weren't so big. She was very happy that both her lips were the same amount. She hated when people had big top lips but small bottom ones or vice versa, either that or someone's lips were just too big or too small. Chelsea smiled and immediately closed her moth with a frown, she desperately needed to get rid of the disgusting fluoride stains on her teeth. A cocoa brown hand touched midnight black hair. There was her award winning feature. This might sound a little racist to someone but it's common in America for Africans to have short brittle hair. Here she stood proudly with her damp black locks that were full, thick and bra-strap length. Chelsea Dennis just broke that recorded. Tonight she would pray an extra prayer for her mother.

The beaming woman was happy with herself. Her mother and father would always say wherever she went she would make people rethink their outlooks on Africans. Chelsea laughed at the thought. She found that statement racist but she couldn't help but find a bit of truth to it.

_I miss them so much._

No. Today was supposed to be a happy day. No sulking. If her brother saw her all moody he would've teased her to no end. Chelsea smiled. She needs to visit her brother soon.

Her previous emotions seemed to fade and the 22 year old skipped her way to her bed. As she plopped herself onto her soft but firm mattress she scrambled looking for her Galaxy Tablet. When she found it she instantly went onto her favorite website. She resumed reading a fan fiction she saved not too long ago. The story was about the famous Sonic, Shadow and Silver the Hedgehog. They were brothers facing the real world with each other. She and her brother never grew out of the little obsession they had. It only seemed to grow every year. It was embarrassing. She only saw them as role models and cute characters that would keep her company during the lonely times.

Minutes turned into hours and soon ended another story. A tired smile plastered unto the young girl's face as she set her tablet down to charge. Her now dry head was against the cold fluffy white pillow. The recent story she read warmed her heart. Sonic and Amy finally were together after all their troubles. A sigh escaped her lips. A picture played through her mind of her Sonic the Hedgehog. When would her prince charming come along? A dull pain ran through her chest. Chelsea was single and tried to play the dating game, but she never found the one. It hurt sometimes. For example, younger brother was dating, and his girlfriend was locked onto him. They were like one being. She could tell they were in love. She was lucky they were both Christians and that meant no intimacy before marriage. Wasn't she supposed to be the one who was supposed to display that kind of feeling to him? Not her. She was supposed to be the one who had children first and helped the other, but it seemed it was going to be the other way around.

Sleep was soon over powering Chelsea and her eyelids finally closed shut. She had a dreamless sleep that night.

The sun peeked through chocolate curtains and fell onto the same color face. Chelsea twitched and pulled the covers over her head. It was way too soon for her to get up. She rolled over her side and sighed in contempt for the sun was out of her face.

Not many minutes passed by when Chelsea heard a piercing cry bellow from the bedroom net to her and through her house. She groaned. Great…another thing trying to wake her up. She buried her face in her pillow and tried to ignore the irritating sound.

One minute passed by.

Brown irises contracted and the whites of her eyeballs grew as her eyelids also snapped open.

She lived alone. She wasn't married. She was very sure she didn't just give birth, so why was there a crying baby in her house.

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Thank you for reading

_**~God Bless You~**_


	2. A Bundle of Joy

Thank you for the criticism. You know who you are. It hurt, but it was greatly appreciated.

Any criticism is appreciated.

Any grammar or spelling errors are completely my fault. Please correct me if you see anything.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic or any others related to him. I only own Chelsea.**

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Chapter 2: A Bundle of Joy

"What in the name of volleyballs is a child doing in my house!"

Chelsea was standing by the doorframe of the room she used to use when she was a child. She gripped the white wood and could feel the dent she had made when she walked straight into the wall.

She took three deep breaths and readied herself for what she was about to see. Chelsea slowly peeked inside the purple tinted room to see a brown wooden crib next to the queen sized bed. She could clearly tell the crying was coming from this room. She gasped and quickly brought her head from inside the room. The 22 year old shut her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Ok ok…calm down Chelsea. It's just a baby. Don't be afraid."

The child's cry grew louder.

"There is a BABY IN MY HOUSE! Ok, ok, let's not get freaked out. Mom always said to count to ten when stressed. 1…2…3…"

The baby's crys turned into screams.

"4…5...6…"

The screams of the child increased in volume.

"Haaahhh this is not working! Ok, I'm coming!"

Chelsea ran over to the crib and abruptly stopped right in front of it. She gasped. She could see a blue blanket wrapped around something small. She decided whatever baby that was in the crib had to be premature male. It looked smaller than her forearm.

She slowly placed her hand on the bundle and the screaming seemed to lower into a less horrifying cry. Chelsea mentally let out a relived sigh. Anymore of that screaming would've caused her to go insane. After a minute of just touching the being she gathered all her courage and lifted it into her arms. The movement caused the soft blanket to drape over her forearm and off the now whimpering child.

Chelsea almost dropped the baby.

There in her arms was not a human being, it was a hedgehog…a baby hedgehog, and not just any hedgehog, it was Shadow the Hedgehog. Her breathing turned into gasps. She looked like she was hyperventilating. Chelsea grabbed hold of the edge of the crib and was shaking horribly. There was no way Shadow the Hedgehog was in her arms as an infant. There was just no possible way. Maybe she was dreaming. Yes, that might be it, but just to make sure she pinched her cheek.

Well she defiantly wasn't dreaming.

Suddenly her eyes narrowed. Was this some kind of sick trick? Was she being played by her brother? "Chris, if this is a joke it's not funny. Get out here right now," she bellowed. A few minutes passed and nothing but silence answered her question. She needed to sit down. Her stomach felt as if it were doing back flips into the horizon.

_This isn't possible. Shadow the Hedgehog is a character. A cartoon character owned by SEGA. He was created by a company to entertain. He was created from imagination. He wasn't real._

But here he was, in her arms snuggling into her bosom, and he felt real.

A sigh escaped her lips. She looked down at the little hedgie. He was finally quiet at least. Chelsea smiled when Shadow raised his arms up to her. She lowered her face into his tiny hands and smiled when he reviled his fiery crimson eyes. A giggle came from the infant and she laughed. Shadow looked into her brown eyes. He stared at her with curious innocence only a child could pull off. His face twisted into confusion when he noticed her teeth. On impulse he grabbed on two bottom teeth and pulled on it. Chelsea winced shoved her head away from the ebony hedgehog. Shadow giggled again as Chelsea massaged the skin covering her teeth. "I know that you were only curious but that hurt Shadow," she scolded. The red streaked infant ceased his giggle fit and whimpered quietly. He lowered his ears, sat up in Chelsea's arms and wrapped his arms around her waist or attempted to.

Chelsea's chocolate irises widened. Shadow looked the size of a baby a few days old and he could already sit up on his own. Ah, but she had to remember, she was dealing with a Mobian. Mobians are smaller than human beings.

"I-I sah-wee"

Another smile crept onto the young adults face.

_Well if he can speak, he must be older than he looks._

"It's alright Shadow, just don't do it again okay?"

Shadow fiercely nodded and once again snuggled against Chelsea. Chelsea returned the embrace and rubbed small circles on his back. Shadow purred and soon fell asleep.

Chelsea sighed, got up and held the sleeping hedgie. A thought suddenly came to her mind. How in the world had Shadow arrived? Well obviously someone put him there, but how did the person put a crib in a room next to hers without waking her? There wasn't a crib there before and she didn't think she was that heavy of a sleeper. Was she? The doors allowing entrance to the house were all downstairs and she slept upstairs. She couldn't have possibly slept through the commotion. Wait. If someone put Shadow there then they must've broken in her house, right? Someone broke INTO her house! Terrified of the thought, Chelsea put Shadow into his crib and scrambled downstairs to check all of her doors. To her surprise none of the doors seemed disturbed in anyway. She checked all the stuff around the doors and even the floors to check if anyone left tracks. Nothing. Everything seemed normal.

But this was far from normal.

Chelsea was back up in her old room sitting on the edge of the bed. Her hands were twitching with freight. Something teased her brain and she didn't like it. She didn't know the first step to taking care of a baby. She was 22, single and alone in an empty house. She did babysit a few times for her friends and nearby neighbors but the children she babysat were at least seven. Chelsea got up and searched for any kind of note. Surely the person who left the child left a note. She looked in the crib and even carefully lifted the sleeping infant but she couldn't find anything. Chelsea stepped on the blue blanket that must've fell and picked it up. She saw a piece of yellow paper fall out of the cotton sheet and caught it before it hit the ground. The note read:

**_Greetings ,_**

**_ We are very sorry if dropping off this project has caused any inconvenience. We had no choice but to drop it off here. _**

Chelsea's brow furrowed. A gnawing feeling tugged at her chest. _Shadow is not an 'it' neither is he a project. They can't say that about my child….my child?_

**_There is a great war going on in our world and we needed the project safe and away from harm. If you look under the crib you will see we filled two bags with supplies needed for taking care of the infant. We also left a card so incase money is a problem just charge it on the card. We will replenish the bank account every month._**

The young women looked under the crib and there, like the note said, were two plump black and red duffel bags. She lifted them onto the bed and huffed. They were quite heavy.

**_We hope you plan on keeping this baby. Although we have looked at your files and you seem like a reasonable woman._**

_Okay…I feel violated._

**_Thank you again , and we give you our greatest appreciation. _**

**_~MRF~_**

"Who the heck is named mrf? Wow I'm stupid. That's probably the name of the facility or company or whatever."

Chelsea huffed in frustration. This note had answered some of her questions but they had no right to just dump Shadow here, call him a project and most importantly look at her records. That was violating her second amendment rights!

In all her anger, accidentally, smashed her head against the bed frame and shouted in pain which startled the young Shadow and made him wail in terror. Chelsea groaned.

_Motherhood starts in 3…2…1._

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_Thank you for reading._

**_~God Bless You~_**


	3. A Daily Routine with a Twist

Hello.

All I have to say is, I'm really pleased with this chapter and you'll get a lot of emotion out of it.

Spelling and grammar errors are completely my fault and I appreciate it if you catch a mistake and correct me.

**Disclaimer: Sonic and his friends belong to SEGA. Chelsea belongs to me.**

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Chapter 3: A Daily Routine with a Twist

Chelsea groaned when she heard a piercing cry. Ever since Shadow had come into her life it seemed waking up at six in the morning was part of her daily routine. She tried to block out the cry and go back to sleep by putting a pillow on top of her head. It was no use. She didn't have the heart to ignore the child. Hesitantly Chelsea pushed the heavy sheets off her body and dragged her feet to Shadow's room. She made sure she took her time.

When she got to the child's room she saw a big red bump in the crib. With her curiosity at an all time high she walked over to the wooden crib. There was no need to turn on the lights; the dim light made it possible to see. "Shady, sweetie is everything alright?" she asked. Chelsea removed the blanket to see a tear streaked Shadow trembling.

This wasn't part of the routine. He didn't usually tremble. He just cried.

With her heart racing a bit Chelsea put the young cub in her arms and cradled him. "Shadow what's wrong? Please tell me." Shadow curled up against the young woman and nuzzled her. He whimpered but didn't give a reply. This worried her tremendously and only pushed her to keep asking the same question. Still, Shadow wouldn't answer. Chelsea sighed and brought Shadow to her room. She laid down and pulled the covers over them. Chelsea felt the infant pull the collar of her night gown. Her heart cracked when she saw the fear clearly displayed in Shadow's big red eyes. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She held Shadow close and, with a cracked voice, asked "Please baby, tell me what's wrong?"

"I-I had bad dre-dream momma. I scared lab coat going to come get me."

Fresh hot tears strolled down Shadow's pink tinted cheeks. Chelsea's thumb wiped away the flowing tears and kissed his forehead. She was happy he was at least talking. She whispered loving coos into the cub's ears and also kissed them tenderly. Shadow's tears slowly stopped and all he did was sniffle. Happy that he stopped crying, Chelsea rubbed his back as Shadow tightly held on to her night gown.

"Go to sleep Shadow, I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Yes momma. I love you. G'night."

"I love you to baby."

A few minutes passed and Chelsea could hear the calm breaths come from Shadow. Her brow furrowed together as she rubbed circles on the young one's back. A thought puzzled her tremendously. She didn't understand what could trouble him so much, especially if it's something like lab coats? She pondered on the thought for a little while until she could no longer keep her eyelids open. Sleep won the battle she tried to fight. A deep sleep consumed both hedgehog and human.

"Momma! Momma, today can I have that?"

A furry little finger pointed to a round plump orange sitting in a basket filled with other varieties of fruit. Chelsea reached for a small cup. She stood on her tippy toes and congratulated herself when she got the item. Her small party was interrupted when she felt a tug on her jeans. "Huh?" Her face twisted into a confused look and then into a smile. "Was momma listening to me?" Shadow crossed his arms and gave her a glare that was adorable. She could definitely see him perfect the stance in a few years, just like in the cartoons. That was only if she still had him in a few years. A dull pain ran through her chest. Chelsea shrugged off the feeling and picked up the hedgie that still glared at her.

"I'm sorry. I should've been listening. Now, what was it you were saying?" she tickled him lightly. Letting out a few giggles, Shadow pointed at the orange and repeated, "Can I have that?"

Chelsea went to the kitchen counter and picked the small fruit up. She set Shadow on the counter and held the orange in front of him. "Momma, what is it?" The ebony cub took the orange from Chelsea and, because of its weight, fell down on his rump. "It's heavy." Chelsea chuckled and filled the small cup she had with water from the refrigerator. "Shady, if you don't know what it is then why do you want it?" "Be-because the man on the colorful pictures was eating it," Shadow cried. Chelsea took a pill from a cabinet and put it in her mouth. She used the water to wash it down. "Ah. Well it's an orange Shady and it's a kind of fruit," she replied leaning on a wall. "Okay. Does that mean I can have it?" "Yes, but after dinner." Shadow nodded and put the orange back in the basket. He wobbled a bit but was able to get it in. He sat next to it and had a huge smile on his face. He couldn't wait till dinner time.

Chelsea lay down on a black leathery couch. She had her favorite dark blue blanket on her and Shadow sitting on top of her butt. The remote he held was a bit larger than him but he managed to find a way to work it with little difficulty. They were watching SpongeBob SquarePants, well Shadow was and Chelsea just dozed off from time to time. The pill she just took made her a bit drowsy.

Shadow looked at Chelsea to see if she was watching the TV. He frowned a little when he saw she wasn't. She looked like she was about to sleep. He looked at the numbers on the cable box thingy and couldn't read it. He climbed on the edge of the couch and stretched for the nearest pair of curtains. He opened them and bright light slammed on his face. He closed the curtains and looked at Chelsea with a confused expression. Why was she sleeping? They already took a nap and it wasn't night time yet. Shadow scurried towards her head and put a hand on her forehead. This is what she did to him when he felt bad. Then she would ask if he felt warm. "Do momma feel warm?"

The young adult lazily opened her eyes and felt furry paws on her head. "What are you doing Shady?" she asked while trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Do momma feel warm?" Finally understanding what he was trying to do, Chelsea sat up and shook her head no. "No, I'm alright Shady. I'm just tired."

Worry sparked in the young one's ruby eyes. Shadow crawled on her lap and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Mommas not going to go to scary lab coats right?" Chelsea nodded and Shadow smiled at her. Suddenly a memory flashed in front of her eyes.

"Shady can I ask you a question?"

"Momma can ask me anything!"

"Who were the scary lab coats in your nightmare?"

Chelsea gasped when she saw Shadow lower his ears and go wide eyed. He looked horrified.

"I- they meanies. They hurt me every-everyday momma. I don't wanna go back." Tears rolled down Shadow's cheeks and his breathes turned into hiccups. Chelsea hugged the ebony hedgie and patted his back. "You're not going to go back Shady. Don't cry, okay. No one's going to hurt you anymore." Shadow continued to cry and just left Chelsea to ponder on her thoughts.

_What could have those people done to him that could make him this terrified?_

**_3 Months Later…_**

"Momma, wake up! Wake up now!"

Shadow roughly shook his mother. His eyes were wide with fear and he felt his heart race. He had grown quite a bit in just three months. He was now the length of Chelsea's arm and his speech improved incredibly, but that's beside the point.

Light chocolate eyelids opened. Chelsea groaned a bit before turning her back to Shadow. She growled when she was shaken a second time.

"What Shadow?"

The crimson streaked hedgehog winced at his mother's tone but gasped when he heard another sound coming from his room.

"Momma wake up please. I'm scared," he pleaded.

Reluctantly, Chelsea sat up and glared at the hedgie. "Okay I'm up. Now wh-"

**_Clank!_**

Chelsea snapped her head towards her door. Her breathing became heavy. She felt Shadow latch onto her waist and made no effort to remove him. Slowly, Chelsea crept to her closet and grabbed a baseball bat. She would have to thank her brother later.

**_Dlunk!_**

Shadow whimpered and climbed on his mother's back and locked his grip around her neck. His ruby eyes were closed shut. He whimpered and tightened his grip when he heard footsteps.

"Shadow?"

"Y-yes momma."

"I need you to stay here okay. I don't want you getting hurt."

His eyes widened. "But momma I don't-"

"I don't care what you want right now Shadow. Listen to me. Hide in the closet and don't come out until I say so. It's a big closet and the door opens towards the inside, so put stuff against the door. Do you understand?" Chelsea whispered harshly. She took Shadow off her back and looked to him squirming in her hold. He let loose fresh tears and her heart felt like it was about to shatter.

"Bu-but momma, I don't want you getting hurt either. Please let me go with you. I love you," Shadow cried.

Tears strolled down her cheeks. Chelsea put a hand over Shadow's mouth to muffle the noise. She removed her hand and kissed all over his face. He also kissed her cheeks in return. They both tightly held each other.

"I know baby, I love you too, but you can't go out there with me. If you get hurt I wouldn't ever forgive myself. Please go in the closet. Please do it for me Shadow."

Shadow crawled his way over to the closet and went in it. Before he shut the door he gave Chelsea a loving embrace and kissed her goodbye. They exchanged 'I love yous' and he shut the door. When it was shut Shadow hysterically cried, turning into a little ball.

Chelsea wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She took steps away from her bedroom and held the baseball bat in position. She crept in the hallway. It was dark and she accidentally ran her toe into the wall. She stifled a scream.

**_Whoosh!_**

Everything went silent.

Chelsea jumped into the room where all the noise was coming from. The baseball bat was over her head and she was ready to strike at anything. When nothing moved she turned on the lights. Her baseball bat dropped on the floor and she gasped.

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Aww, I thought this chapter was adorable.

Yeah and I know it's a cliff hanger but you guys probably already know what's going to happen next. Darn it, I'm so predictable.

Anyway, thank you for reading.

_**~God Bless You~**_


	4. Mommy

**Disclaimer:** Sonic and friends belong to SEGA. Chelsea belongs to me.

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Chapter 4: Mommy

She froze on the spot. Chelsea stared at two small beings. One was blue and one was silver. Her heart felt like it was ready to jump out of her chest.

_What was Sonic and Silver doing here?_

The two said hedgehogs were sitting there with their arms wrapped around each other. They shivered with fear as their wide and alarmed eyes stared at Chelsea. Silver whimpered and lowered his ears as tears fell down his bright pink cheeks. Sonic looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown but he just held the other child tightly.

The young woman stood there for few moments before walking towards the two hedgies slowly. She stopped, a foot away, when Silver began to sob. Her chocolate irises softened and her bottom lip began to tremble a bit. Chelsea crouched down and sat on legs observing the bundle.

Sonic stared at her with new profound fear. His emerald eyes were glossy with unshed tears. He whimpered and covered Silver with his own body when Chelsea stretched a hand towards them. He shook even more when he felt a hand on his back. The hand smoothed over his fur and went in circular motions. His hunched shoulders visibly relaxed at the touch of the hand. It was gentle and warm. Nothing he was expecting. His ears twitched when a soft voice whispered;"I won't hurt you." The azure hedgehog turned his trembling head towards the owner of the dark skinned hand. For some unknown reason he felt truth in the word sentence. He reached out to grab the hand in front of him and gasped when it brought him close to the woman's body. Sonic squirmed in fear. He tried to reach for the silver hedgehog. He stopped when Silver was once again next to him, crying loudly.

Chelsea looked down at the hedgies in her arms. She scooted to a nearby wall and leaned against it. She brought her knees close to her chest, carefully so the beings wouldn't be squished. Chelsea cradled Sonic and Silver. She smiled a bit when Silver's cries decreased to only sniffles. Silver latched on to Chelsea's mid-section and nuzzled her. Chelsea looked at Sonic held him closer. Sonic's emerald eyes looked into her eyes and watered. He dug his finger into her night gown and is his lip quivered. He buried his face into her chest and cried as hard as a toddler could.

The sight of the scene made Chelsea shed tears herself. They looked terrified like they've just been through hell. She didn't remember Shadow's appearance being this heart breaking. The crying ceased and the two hedgehogs were asleep and gripping tightly on to her as if she was the very thing keeping them alive.

Chelsea lazily got up with the two hedgehogs on her sides and went straight to her room. She gently placed the sleeping forms on her bed and slipped in with them. She pulled the covers over them and felt her eyelids get heavy. Chelsea's face crinkled for second when she felt a pang in her chest. She ignored it and turned on her side to cuddle the three hedgies she now had. There was only one problem; she only felt two.

…

"SHADOW!" Chelsea's shrill cry startled the other two awake. They propped themselves up and looked around with dazed and confused looks.

The worry-stricken female scrambled to the closet door that held the ebony child. She tried to push open the door but couldn't. She pounded the door and repeatedly cried out her son's name. "Shadow, come out. Shadow, open the door. Everything is alright. Mommy's okay. The bad people are gone."

Chelsea heard sounds of shuffling and tiny breaths. Slowly, the door opened. Immediately she went in the closet and kneeled down and crawled around the closed space. Chelsea looked on the floor to see if Shadow was curled up there. With no light in the closet she had to rely on touch. She jumped and hit her head when she looked up. Two blood red eyes stared right at her.

A moment or two passed before Chelsea wrapped her arms around Shadow in a bone crushing embrace. She gasped when she fell back on her back. Her eyes when she realized Shadow pushed her away from him. His ruby eyes, that she adored, were filled with untamed anger that she never knew he could have at such a young age. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she propped herself up with on her hands.

Shadow walked towards her stood on her lap. He glared at his mother. She had left him. She left him in the closet while she went out there alone, with the _lab coats,_ and that was unforgivable. He had cried in this small room for what seemed forever or until he had no tears left. During that time Shadow felt something in his chest that he wasn't accustomed to. It was bubbling up in his body and made him feel like a volcano was about to erupt in him. The heart his mother said was for loving others felt like it was torn without mercy and thrown in the garbage. She made him feel useless. She made him feel angry. That was the feeling she said she had when he broke her phone. The feeling she had when he disobeyed her commands. Shadow concluded that if this was the feeling she felt when she was angry, he didn't want to feel it again, but for some reason it didn't go away. Instead every time he pondered on his previous thoughts the anger rose.

"You made me feel useless momma" Shadow said with his glare still fixed upon her.

Chelsea gawked at Shadow with mixed emotions. Her mouth was ajar. A strained sound hung throughout the air. The air around them was so thick all of a sudden. She found it hard to breath. Chelsea sat there surprised at how this hedgehog, which was no older than five, could make her shiver. His eyes were cold, hard and cut right through her. All those fan fictions she read about his glare was nothing compared to the real thing. You couldn't describe the anger that glowed in his eyes. There was no humanly possible way.

Tears rolled down her cheeks for what seemed the hundredth time that night. Her heart couldn't crack anymore because it was completely shattered into microscopic pieces. She felt like she let Shadow down, like she completely destroyed the bond they had. She didn't know she caused him so much distress. She was too careless with his feelings and wishes. She yelled at him multiple times when he needed her comfort the most. When she could finally find her voice she said exasperated "I-I'm so sorry Shadow. I d-didn't know. God please forgive me for this. Oh Shadow, I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me baby. P-please forgive me. I didn't want you to get h-hurt. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Shadow." Chelsea hysterically cried and buried her head in her hands.

Shadow's eyes widened and then narrowed. The anger he felt increased to the limit and he started pounding his tiny fist on his mother's chest. She shouldn't be crying. He started screaming incoherent things. It was because of her he was feeling like this. It was because of her he glared at her with so much anger. It was because of her he was screaming. It was because of her he was hitting the very chest he nuzzled into everyday for comfort. It was because of her that they were in this cursed closet. It was because of her he felt tears on his muzzle. It was because of her he trembled. It was because of her he cried so much. It was because of her he hugged her so tightly he thought his arms were about to pop out of place. It was because of her he worried about her safety so much. It was because of her the mere thought of losing her made him feel like an ant by a skyscraper; so small and, unable to do anything about it. It was because of her he actually felt loved.

Ruby eyes stared at the moving carpeted floor. They eventually saw the familiar lavender sheets they had seen so many times. Shadow felt the arms that carried him before allow other things into them. He would've looked up but he was too tired to. He thought he heard something but sleep overcame him before he could figure it out.

**_1 Week Later…_**

"Speedy, Shady, Silvy, its bath time!"

Two hedgehogs came running through the bathroom door; a silver one and a black one. Chelsea cocked her head to the right and looked at the two hedgehogs. Two hedgies. Where was the other one?

"Shadow, Silver where's Sonic?"

Shadow and Silver looked at each other and then at their mother. They smiled sheepishly and said "We don't know." Chelsea sighed and went to go look for the azure hedgie with the others following her. This always happened when it was bath time. The blue one made himself scarce whenever something with water came up. Chelsea looked at all the places Sonic hid before but of course he wasn't there. It's been about 15 minutes and Chelsea still couldn't find the hedgehog. With an irritated huff she was about to give up when an idea struck her brain. She smiled evilly. Silver and Shadow shivered at the sight. They decided to stay away from their mother whenever she showed the expression. They learned that the hard way.

"Uhh, oh well. I guess all those chili dogs I made are going to go to waste. I better throw them-"Chelsea laughed when she felt someone jump on her back, gripping her shoulders.

"Chili dogs? Well mommy, I'll eat 'em. You don't hafta throw 'em away ya know."

Sonic was always going to be Sonic. It doesn't matter if he's two or 65. He will forever love chili dogs. Too bad it distracted him too much to see Chelsea grab him and drag him to the tub. Shadow and Silver sweat dropped when they heard Sonic's shouts for freedom. The two said hedgehogs walked into the bathroom to see the azure with his arms crossed, a pouty expression and bubbly white suds on his quills. When the faucet came on he glared at the water like it was a demon. Shadow snickered at him while Silver giggled. Sonic saw the two giggling at him and stuck his tongue at them.

"Sonic stop being so sour and put your tongue back in your mouth."

Said hedgehog lowered his ears and put his tongue back in his mouth and only became grimmer when he heard his brothers laugh even more. Sonic huffed and closed his eyes when water was poured on his head.

From then on he decided he would always hate bathes with all of his being.

That night the four decided to watch a movie. Chelsea dragged the mattress from the guest room to the middle of the living room. After minute of panting she went into the kitchen to make the popcorn.

Sonic soon came running down the stairs at top speed and cannon-balled on the soft mattress. Not far behind was Shadow who immediately grabbed the remote just when Sonic was about to touch it.

"Hey! Give it back Shadow. Mommy said I could pick the movie today."

"No. Momma said I could pick it today. You picked it last time."

Meanwhile Silver came quietly down after his brothers. He wasn't as fast as them so he had to struggle to keep up. When he saw they were fighting over the remote he lowered his ears. He stretched a hand towards the two playing tug-a-war, trying to calm them down. "S-Sonic, Shadow you don't need to fight," he exclaimed.

"Not now Silver. I need to get the remote back," Sonic seethed through clenched teeth.

"B-but-"

"Silver. Stay. Away. Sonic was just too slow this time," Shadow retorted.

"I was not. Grr, give it back faker!"

"Yes you were and I'm clearly not the faker here."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes. You. Are!"

"No. I'm. Not!"

Silver head went back and forth. He tried once more to calm them down. "Guys please calm-"

"SHUT UP SILVER!" Sonic and Shadow shouted.

He gasped. Silver's hand immediately found its way back to his body. His wide golden eyes were quickly glossy with unshed tears. His bottom lip trembled and it took all of his strength not to cry. All he wanted to do was to get them to stop fighting. He didn't mean to upset them.

Sonic and Shadow were now softly holding the remote. Their previous dilemma was quickly forgotten when they saw the look on Silver's face. They looked at each other and then back at the younger one with regret. Shadow reached a hand out for Silver but the silver hedgehog took a step back. Both of them were about to apologize when both of them suddenly winced.

"Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog, you get your butts in my room this instant."

The black and azure hedgehogs walked to their mother's room with compunctious. They kept their heads low and avoided eye contact with the fury held within the chocolate brown eyes that glared at them.

Chelsea shook her head in dismay. She turned her attention to the trembling silver hedgie that sat on the edge of the mattress. She walked to Silver and kneeled down to his level. "Are you alright Silvy," she asked softly. Silver nodded and tried to smile but failed miserably. He rubbed his eyes in attempt of keeping unshed tears from falling. A few escaped and he quickly rubbed them away so they would go unseen but the more he tried the faster the tears came. Chelsea smiled at his bravery. He was trying not to cry and she couldn't help but feel proud at his attempt.

The young woman took Silver's hands from his face and kissed his cheeks. She embraced him in a loving hug and said, "You know, it is okay to cry." Silver tried to steady his breathing before replying, "I know but, I know they didn't mean to yell at me. I shouldn't have upset them." Chelsea frowned at the response. She had only had Silver for a week but she noticed that whenever something went wrong he always found a way to pin it on himself. "You are not to blame Silvy. You didn't do anything. Sonic and Shadow shouldn't have yelled at you in the first place. They shouldn't have especially said shut up to you. They need to be punished."

Silver gasped and pulled away from the embrace. He shook his head and pleaded, "Mommy please let them watch the movie at least. They won't like me if you don't let them." Chelsea's frown only deepened but she only sighed. "Fine Silvy, I'll let them watch the movie. Why don't you pick the movie while I go talk to them, alright?" Silver gave her an ear splitting grin and hugged her. "Thank you mommy! Love you." Chelsea chuckled, "I love you too." She got up and headed up the stairs replacing her expression with a game face.

When Chelsea opened the door she saw Sonic and Shadow glaring at each other, nose to nose, ruby to emerald. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg. She frowned at their ridiculous behavior. "Do either of you mind telling me what's going on and why you yelled at Silver?" The hedgies looked at the woman in front of them with anger at the other and pointed their fingers at the each other. "It was his fault," they said in unison. They glared at each other with malice and said "No it's not." Sonic and Shadow gasped and then turned to their mother with annoyed faces "Mommy!" they both said.

Chelsea almost pulled her hair out her head. "Enough you two! You have done nothing but fight and I'm tired of it. Where have you learned to say 'shut up' anyway. Didn't you know that is disrespectful?"

Sonic and Shadow lowered their ears and winced at Chelsea's harsh tone. Sonic rubbed the back of his neck and Shadow averted his eyes away from her and crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry mommy. I didn't know it was bad" Sonic said woefully.

"Me neither momma" Shadow said with honesty, "I'm sorry."

Chelsea sighed and turned her gaze to the wall on her left. It was hard to stay mad at them at times. "You shouldn't be apologizing to me. Your brother's the one who needs to hear it. But for your punishment you will go through a week without TV and Silver will be picking the movie. If I hear any complaint you will be in_ deeper_ trouble than you are now. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes" they both said

Shadow then asked, "If we can't watch TV doesn't that mean we can't watch the movie momma?"

"You can thank Silver for getting out of that. He said you guys wouldn't like him anymore if I kept you watching the movie. I don't know where he would get that idea unless; you two have something to do with it."

"No! We promise."

Chelsea walked towards the door and gestured for them to walk through. Sonic and Shadow scurried to the door each earning a light pat on their hind. They were instantly hugging Silver and blurting out apologies. Silver accepted them with open arms and had a smile on his face the entire night.

_Horton Hears a Who_ was about to end. Chelsea laid on the mattress with Silver on her chest and Sonic in one of her arms. They both fell asleep before the first half was even over. She felt a light tap on her free shoulder and moved her head as much as she could to see who tapped her.

"Yes Shady?"

Shadow's eyes held uncertainty and that made her confused. Shadow twiddled with his fingers and looked down at his feet.

"Do you hate me momma?"

Chelsea's eyes widened at the statement. She moved carefully so she wouldn't disturb the sleeping hedgies. She wanted to fully look at Shadow.

_Why would he think that? Did I come off to harsh today?_

"Shadow, why would you think that? I would never hate you. If what happened today wa-"

"No momma. It's not about today. I'm talking about what happened in the closet."

Chelsea eyes clouded with memories of that night. That whole day was filled with tears and emotional distress. She remembered when she sent Shadow to the closet and when she came back he was furious with her. She winced.

"I didn't mean to hit you or yell at you. I was just mad. I won't hit you again. I promise. It's okay if you don't like me anymore." Shadow hung his head low and went to go sleep on the other side of the mattress. He gasped when he felt a hand around his wrist. He was soon flipped and was against his mother's warm chest. He breathed in the familiar scent and buried his head in her bosom.

"Don't you ever think like that again. Do you understand me?"

Shadow smiled and nodded his head. He crawled up to Chelsea's face and planted a kiss on her lips (Mother/Son kiss). "Yes momma."

"I love you so much Shadow."

"I love you too momma."

All four of them slept peacefully that night but something happened that night, something so extraordinary that their lives were changed forever. Unfortunately there are some things that happen because of bad intentions and then there are some things that happen because it will benefit for the good ones in the end. I cannot tell you who installed the tiny cameras throughout the house but I can tell you that here my, dear reader, is where the story truly begins.

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Thank you for reading.

_**~God Bless You~**_


	5. All Grown Up

Thank you for all the reviews. I really mean it.

All grammar and spelling errors are my fault.

**Disclaimer: **Sonic the hedgehog and all those related to him belong to SEGA. Chelsea belongs to me.

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Chapter 5: All grown up

Chelsea's P.O.V.

_I felt the soft grass beneath my tickling my thighs. I exhaled as I closed my eyes. I was sitting in the yard in front of my house. Today was a day where I could get to enjoy the tranquility Mother Nature has to offer. I just couldn't be cooped up in the house. The day was just too perfect. Even the flowers bloomed today. They were an angelic white and they were as soft as cotton. _

_"Hey mom, look!"_

_I watched one of my hedgies do flips and tricks all over the place. When he landed his back flip he looked at me with a face full of pride and that goofy smile of his. I couldn't help but smile at him. He was just too cute for words._

_"That was amazing sweetie."_

_I picked a white lily from the ground, held it and admired its beauty. I wrapped my arms around my legs and pulled them closely to my chest still delicately holding the flower. Someone sat behind me and wrapped their furry arms around me._

_For some reason, my furry body didn't alarm meet at all nor did the arms gently holding me. In fact I felt quite at peace. _

_"Let me have the flower," a masculine voice said._

_I didn't feel the need to look at the man behind me so I just placed the flower in the hand in front of me. The unidentified person tucked the Lily behind my ear and kissed it tenderly. I giggled. I heard him chuckle. _

_"What's so funny my dear?"_

_"That tickles."_

_"Oh?" I could almost feel the smirk on his face._

_I giggled when he did it again. He then started nibbling the ear, on top of my head, which caused me to laugh loudly. When our tickle phase ended I felt strong hands grab my waist, spin me around and put me in their owner's lap. I closed my eyes from the spinning but before I could open them the same person out a hand over my eyes. His scent of different spices filled my nostrils and made a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. _

_"Keep your eyes closed for me," his voice held mischief._

_I nodded and he took his hand away from my face. A feeling of disappointment came over me although I don't know why. I felt like I still had to keep smiling. _

_"What are you doing?" I asked. _

_A deep chuckle came from him and I could almost feel him smirk. I gasped when a hand was placed under my chin and tilted my face to an angle. A tingle ran through my spine and I felt myself tremble from the others breath on my cheek. I wanted to know who this person was so badly._

_ I still kept my eyes closed though._

_A soft pair of lips brushed against mine and I felt my cheeks burn from his tormenting. My ears twitched when I heard familiar voice snicker from not too far away. Then I heard an irritated scoff. I mentally rolled my eyes._

_I was taken aback when the person in front of me put his lips fully on mine. His lips took mine with such dominance that I found myself lightly moaning. I wrapped my arms around his neck and opened my mouth a little wider to get the full flavor of jasmine. I squeezed eyes as I could feel his hand snake to my waist. He held me against him firmly but with a gentle touch. My mind was clouded with bliss and I couldn't think about anything else except what was happening._

_ I wanted to know this person. This person brought me pleasure in a kiss. He held me with such care; I would think I was expensive china. His embrace left me feeling safe from anything. If felt like nothing could hurt me when I'm in this person's arms. I could feel love radiate from his voice and his touch left me shaking. But I still kept my eyes shut._

_I suddenly heard giggling. Then I heard a grossed out gasp._

_"Ewww! Mom! Dad! That's disgusting."_

_I felt a smile in between kisses from the man. Then I wondered why someone said dad. It wasn't like I was married._

_…_

_My eyes snapped open._

Third person's P.O.V.

Chelsea's eyes fluttered open. She blinked and then lazily rubbed her eyes. She turned over on her side and closed her eyes again. She kept squeezing her eyelids hoping to fall asleep again. The dream she had was her own utopia. After a few hopeless tries of falling asleep, Chelsea, propped herself on her hands and sighed. She then had a sudden feel of loneliness. She wondered if it was from the dream but then she looked around her taking in the room she slept in.

_Why am I in my room?_

Last time she checked she fell asleep in the living room.

Chelsea brought a hand to her head. Maybe she walked up her in one of her sleepwalks. Sighing, the young woman headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She hated morning breath, especially hers and a certain little black hedgehog's. Chelsea then looked around the upstairs hallway. Where were the little hedgehogs? She looked in the room with the cribs and found them missing.

Did the MRF come inside her house again? Was that how she got upstairs?

A sudden panic shot through Chelsea. Her heart rate accelerated. She had to find the boys. She quickly looked through all the bedrooms upstairs and when she couldn't find a speck of blue, black or silver she shot down the stairs.

"Shadow, Sonic, Silver! Where are you guys?" she shouted with worry evident in her voice.

What if they took them? She can't without them. The hedgies were now her life. They can't just take them away. Can they? What if they did something to them? From what she's observed the MRF are harmful people. What if they were screaming for her and she couldn't here? What if they were in pain? She couldn't live with the thought. It was too much to bear.

"Mom?"

Chelsea sighed with relief. Her 'what ifs' vanished from her mind. She heard Sonic's voice come from the guest room. She calmly but eagerly walked to the voice. She couldn't help but notice the voice seem deeper. And why did Sonic call her 'mom'?

When she got to the room she looked down at the floor expecting a little blue hedgehog to meet her with a bright grin. Instead she saw red sneakers. Sneakers she had seen before. Slowly her eyes traveled up and saw noticeably long lean legs that were a bright azure color. Then she hit a patch of peach fur that had also grown larger since the last time she saw it. Chelsea looked straight forward and saw bright forest green eyes looking straight at her. The eyes looked at here with happiness but you could see the concerned look in them.

Chelsea's mind was blank and she felt her throat go dry. She tried to swallow but her throat was too dry. This must be some kind of joke. This wasn't happening. This was impossible.

"Mom, is everything okay? You look kind of pale."

Chelsea took a step back and bumped into someone. She looked up and saw brilliant blood red eyes staring right at her. She gasped and backed away to the right only to hit another person. She dared herself to look. Slowly she turned around and almost fainted when glossy gold irises looked at her. Chelsea, who was now trembling, shook her head in denial. She counted them. There were three hedgehogs and they were all as tall as her if not, taller.

The questions that filled Chelsea's head made her dizzy. She felt her skull was about to crack open. Her capacity level was filled to the max. She shut one eye closed, in pain, and pressed her palms into her temples. She tried to apply pressure to her head to try to ease the pounding but it wasn't working. She felt her legs give out from underneath her and saw the floor getting closer to her face.

"Mother? Mother what's wrong?" Shadow's deep and alarmed voice pierced through her head. Chelsea felt his hands around her waist just before she hit the floor. She gripped his forearm as he helped her to her feet. Again, her legs wouldn't support her weight and, she fell forward. This time all three of them caught her.

Chelsea could only remember being lifted and carried up the stairs. Her vision was blurry so all she saw was dull colors. When her head touched the lavender pillow she saw nothing but the color black.

Chelsea's eyes, for the second time that day, fluttered open. Events from earlier flooded back into her mind. She bolted up and winced when a dull pounding started in her head. She brought a hand to her forehead and massaged it. A rather large hand was planted on her chest and pushing her down. She looked to see it was a silver arm. Silver sat next to her with his hand gently on his mother's chest, his eyes were full of concern. He then pushed again a little. "Please lay back down mom. You're going to get a migraine if you push yourself to much" he pleaded with a sad smile. She was glad to see he still looked like the caring innocent Silver he was. She thought the only thing that changed about him was his height and voice. But she missed the little hedgie.

"B-but-"

"Mother, lay down. Now."

Chelsea looked at the corner of her bed to see Shadow with his arms crossed and a glare directed at her. His voice was deep and harsh. It was like his voice demanded respect and for you to follow everything it said. She couldn't help but lower her head. His red eyes were no longer the soft sweet ones she remembered. The ones that held so much curiosity. These were a bit intimidating and hard. The little hedgehog that used to look at her with big, curious eyes was gone.

Chelsea looked down at her hands that were now on her lap. Tears were brimming at the edges of her bottom eyelids.

Sonic looked sadly towards his mother and could see the unshed tears. He shot a glare at Shadow. Shadow only rolled his eyes, but he could see the hint of shame in his eyes. Sonic's emerald green eyes focused on the young dark-skinned woman and put a hand on hers. Sonic looked into her eyes and smiled.

Chelsea softly smiled at Sonic and lied back down on the bed. Sonic was grown up too. He wouldn't ever jump into her arms again. He wouldn't ever climb on her back and declare him has the king. It was never going to happen again. At these thought tears escaped her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. She heard a deep sigh from Shadow again. She turned her head to him and saw that he was sitting on the other side of her with his arms uncrossed and his eyes looking at his lap in regret.

"Mother I'm sorry that-"he started but was cut off.

"Meh… Shadow you did nothing wrong. Don't worry about it." She waved it off with a smile.

She saw him nod but she could tell he wasn't convinced and his statement only proved it. "Then why were you crying."

Could she tell them_? Umm…so I was crying because you all grew up so fast, literally, and my fragile heart can't bear thought of losing you guys so soon._ She would get up and leave the room if she heard that come from her mother.

Chelsea giggled and said "If I were to tell you why, you guys would groan and ditch me." She got a few laughs form Sonic and Silver and a smirk from Shadow. "It's a mother thing." She shrugged her shoulders and sat up again which earned her another glare from Shadow and worried looks from Sonic and Silver. Chelsea rolled her eyes and threw her legs over the edge of the bed. "Oh come on guys. I feel like I'm at my death bed saying my last wishes to you and that feeling makes me feel old."

"You're 22" Silver flatly stated.

"Yeah but I have three-wait how old are guys?"

All three of them face-palmed while Chelsea sweat dropped. Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she smiled sheepishly.

"Never mind that mom," Sonic laughed but then turned solemn. "You sure you're alright?"

Chelsea hopped unto her feet and marched around the room. She stumbled a bit making the three hedgehogs instantly move towards her but she held up her hands to stop them. She stood up straight put her hands on her hips and smiled triumphantly. "See? I didn't even fall that time. Now can we please go down stairs? Pretty please? Wait, why am I asking you guys? It's my house but, I do share it with them so I guess that makes them share ownership…Oh well. I still declare this my house. Sucks to suck doesn't it? Oh wow, my feet are huge and I'm rambling again aren't I. Well all this rambling made me hungry. Let's go eat!" With that the, all of a sudden, hyperactive woman strolled down the stairs.

Sonic, Shadow and Silver looked at the door where Chelsea just went through and blinked. They looked at each other blankly and just sighed and shook their heads. They were happy to know their mother was feeling better again but they would soon have to ask her about earlier. The three got up and followed the warm smell of eggs and bacon that filled the entire house.

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Thank you for reading. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	6. Troubles Already

All grammar and spelling errors are completely my fault.

**Disclaimer:** Sonic and anyone related to him belong to SEGA. Chelsea and MRF belong to me.

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Chapter 6: Troubles Already

Sonic shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He ate a piece of his scrambled egg before glancing at Chelsea. He saw she was looking at Shadow. Well more like staring. Sonic could see he was just as uncomfortable as he was. Ruby and emerald eyes met for a second and then looked back at their own plates.

Shadow looked at Silver to see him happily eating, oblivious to the event going on. He mentally scoffed. He then looked at Chelsea and saw and found her staring at him. A small blush made its way on his cheeks. Did he have something on his face? Subconsciously he rubbed the back of his hand on his muzzle and looked to see if there was something on it. Nothing. He growled a little before stabbing his fork in his eggs out of annoyance.

It was silent at the dinner table. The two hedgehogs sat across from each other as Silver and Chelsea did the same. They both had uncomfortable faces as their mother stared at them. Chelsea also stared at Silver but he was too into his breakfast to notice. She smiled and went back to staring at the other two.

She knew they weren't enjoying her stares. She just wanted to intimidate them. It was fun for her. She giggled when the ebony hedgehog stabbed his fork in the pile of eggs.

_It was too much fun being a mother. _

The shaking of the table didn't even phase Silver but, as for Sonic, Chelsea could see he was just as annoyed. A sigh escaped his peach lips and he strained a smile towards her. Painfully he said "Mom is there a reason why you're staring at us?" He forced a laugh.

_This should be a crime._

Chelsea shook her head in a lazy way and took a bite of bacon. Silver lifted his head from the empty plate and cocked his head to the side. Innocently he asked, "She was staring at us?" Shadow slammed his hands on the table and stood up. He glared at Silver and said through clenched teeth, "Yes she was staring at us for the past 20 minutes but you were too busy eating like a dog to realize that."

"Hey! That's not nice!" Silver shouted. He crossed his arms and then turned his back on Shadow. "At least I don't eat like a freakin' rabid lion like you and Mr. Cocky over there."

_Wow! Who would've ever thought Silver had a back bone. Way to go Silvy._

Sonic now stood up and exclaimed "Hey! Don't bring me into this. Faker is the one who started it. Talking about - you guys should take a chill pill, geez."

Shadow glared venomously at Sonic. "Who are calling a faker, **faker**?"

"I'm talking to you faker."

"Before I wring your neck, I should tell you I didn't start this it was all idiots' fault."

"You're unbelievable Shadow. How did I start this? You did not me. Stop lying; you're going to lower chances of getting a girlfriend. Well I suppose your chances are already low" Silver snickered.

_This was better than cable._

Sonic chuckled at the statement. Shadow appeared to be glowing a blood red color and his quills became dangerously pointy. Chelsea was trying to catch her breath, from all the laughing she did, when her eyes popped open.

"That is the last straw," the crimson male seethed, "I'm going to make you're deaths so slow you're going to wish you were never born and I'm starting with you first." Shadow pointed a glowing finger at the petrified silver hedgehog.

Shadow was just about to lunge at Silver before he heard a voice.

"Shadow calm down."

Said hedgehog turned to Chelsea with his eyes wide with disbelief. He pointed an accusing finger at Silver and exclaimed, "But m-mother, didn't you hear what he just said to me. He said I couldn't get a girlfriend-"

Chelsea raised her eyebrows in amusement. "That still doesn't give you the right to hurt either of them."

Shadow crossed his arms, turned away and humphed. Chelsea eyebrows only raised a little more when she heard him mummer something along the lines of 'she only likes them better…I always get blamed…stupid fakers…I should knock some sense into her'.

"What was that, Shadow, about me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about mother." Shadow growled.

"Uh-huh, next time I hear something like that you're grounded."

"Whatever."

Next to her, Sonic was pounding the floor laughing. He suddenly stopped when he saw Chelsea look at him with a soft glare. He quickly scrambled to his feet and smiled sheepishly with a hand rubbing the back of his neck and head. "Hehe hey mom…"

Chelsea closed her eyes and sighed with her eyebrows furrowed together. "Sonic don't even start. You didn't need to start with the whole faker thing. You have to start acting your age."

Sonic's mouth almost hit the floor. Chelsea walked over to him and pushed his mouth back shut. When the azure hedgehog could find his voice he said defensively, "Mom, I didn't even do anything. I was just defending myself. I don't think what you're saying is fair-"

"Sonic, watch your attitude," the young woman out her hands on her hips.

"But mom-"

"Sonic."

"Fine. I'm sorry," Sonic rolled his eyes and walked to the living room and plopped himself on the couch with his arms crossed. He had a rude glare fixed on the TV.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" Chelsea frowned deeply at him daring him to answer. She concluded he was going to be her more troublesome child. Chelsea was now getting a little angry and she focused her glare on Silver.

Silver's eyes trained on her with regret. He looked at Shadow and Sonic. He didn't mean to have the morning start off so rough. He just got kind of carried away. He wasn't trying to be mean.

"Silver, what you said to Shadow was-"

He cut her off. "I know mother. I know what I did was wrong and I just wanted to say I didn't mean it, honestly. I guess I kind of got a little angry. I shouldn't have been so rude to Shadow or Sonic. I'm sorry guys." He then looked at Chelsea with a sad smile and continued, "I'm sorry I ruined your morning also and I'll be happy to accept any punishment you give me. I'll even have Sonic and Shadow's punishments just so I can show how sorry I am."

Chelsea had tears in corners of her eyes after Silver's explanation. She remembered last night when Shadow and Sonic screamed at him. He still found a way to put the blame on himself. Even though right now he was mostly to blame he still put stuff on himself that he didn't do. She was happy he was still the same Silver from last night; he just had a backbone when he was angry. She went up to him and hugged him which he gladly returned. When she pulled back she said "It's alright Silvy. You're forgiven. What you said was super sweet and I hope your **_brothers_**," she eyed the other hedgies, "realize what you just saved them from." Silver laughed and said, "They don't need to thank me or anything. It's just what a brother is supposed to do." Sonic and Shadow walked closer to Silver.

The dark-skinned woman walked over to the door. She opened it and before she left she said "I'm just going to get the mail. Please don't kill each other. I'll be back in a minute, okay?" With that, she left.

There was a long silence after the door was shut closed. Sonic crossed his arms again and made a smirk towards Silver. "Ya big suck up." Silver laughed whole heartedly, "Hey, I had to find some way to get us out of trouble. I didn't see you guys doing anything to help so I took matters into my own hands. But I did really mean what I said. Well anything except the punishment part." Shadow punched Silver's shoulder and said "That was for what you said about my chances of finding a girlfriend. We all know I have more of a chance finding one than you two." Silver chuckled and rubbed his arm, "Yeah, sorry about that. That was kinda outta line." He then started his way to the stairs.

Sonic said "Where are you going Silvs?"

"I'm just going to my room."

"Why?"

"No reason."

Silver shrugged and started climbing up the carpeted steps. When he was halfway up someone shouted "Wait Silver!" He turned back to see Sonic and Shadow at the bottom of the steps. He quizzically looked at them as the two hedgehogs shared glances with each other. Sonic smiled and Shadow smirked. They both said, "Thanks Silver for what you said."

Silver displayed an ear splitting smile and said "No prob guys."

"Bill, bill, bill, bill, Home Residents, bill, Chris, MRF, bill- hey MRF!

A silver envelope was taken out of the stack of letters. Chelsea threw the others on the counter making them separate all over the place. She observed it and saw there was a big bright red stamp that said 'M.R.F.'. She used her fingernail to open it. She saw a white paper and took it out, discarding the envelope. Her brown eyes read over the note and then Chelsea's jaw clenched. She crumpled the paper up and threw it in the garbage. It was a stupid choice to read the message. She stomped her way up to one of the boy's room. She had a sudden urge to spend time with them.

Chelsea slammed the first door she saw open and found Shadow sitting at the edge of his bed. He had a distant looks on his face as he stared at the mirror in front of him. He looked like he was staring at himself. He didn't even notice her sit by him until she touched him on the shoulder.

Shadow jumped a bit. He calmed down at the sight of Chelsea. He raised a brow in question. "Is there something wrong mother?" Chelsea shook her head and sadly smiled. She felt a pinching feeling in her heart when Shadow looked at her. The note clouded her eyes and she felt like throwing up at the thought of it. Tears appeared at the edge of her eye lids and her vision became blurry because of it. Her stomach felt like it was being flipped inside out. She rapidly blinked to get rid of the tears.

Luckily for her no tears escaped but Shadow still saw her glossy eyes. The crimson splashed male looked at her with a sudden spike of panic. She was acting…off today. Was something troubling her? Did she have a medical condition he didn't know about? "Mother is something wrong? Today you've been fainting and crying. Hell, you almost fell three times today. You're not that clumsy. Your moods are all over the place and I know your menstrual cycle has not begun." Chelsea looked down at her hands and shifted. She took her shirt and started pulling it. Her cheeks got a little lighter. "Language Shadow, and how do you know when my period starts?" The ebony male ignored her and continued. "Then you act like everything's alright but I know you. Something's wrong and it's troubling you," he cupped her face and forced her to look at him, "and I want to know what. Tell me now and don't you dare lie to me Chelsea." The young woman's eyes widened at his use of her name. Shadow narrowed his eyes and whispered "You know I hate feeling useless."

Shadow felt Chelsea's chin tremble. He grabbed her shoulders and shoved her onto his chest. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck and in return wrapped his arms securely around her waist. Shadow closed his eyes and started rubbing her back when she started to sob; just like she did all those times he cried. The room's light wasn't on so the room was dim and silent except for the crying woman on Shadow's shoulder. The only light in the room was the sunlight that slipped through the dark brown curtains Now that he thought about it the whole house seemed to go silent.

A few minutes passed and the Chelsea's sobs were only reduced to small gasps. Shadow continued to give his silent comfort. Then he tried to pull away but she would not let go of him.

"Mother?"

"To answer your question Shadow, I just don't want to lose the three of you. I'm praying everyday that when I wake up you guys will be there. You've been with me for so long, it's just; when you guys don't need me anymore you'll leave and the thought makes me sick to my stomach. I don't care if you they think you don't need me anymore. I just don't want you three to leave me. I love you too much to lose you. Please, Shadow, please promise you won't leave me. I promise to be nicer in every way possible and just please Shadow, fight to stay here with me. I'm begging you-"

Shadow held her in a bone crushing embrace. He clenched his eyes shut with his jaws tightly. He snarled. Someone was threatening her. They were threatening to take them away from her. His canines were exposed at the thought of it. "

"Mother, listen to me very carefully. We will never leave you-I will never leave you. I can't fathom the thought of losing you. If needed I will fight to my very death to make sure Sonic and Silver always stay with you. And we will always need you, even though we may act otherwise remember we always will. Nothing will ever change that. Once I find out who put these thoughts in your head, I'll rip them to shreds and make sure their death is slow and painful. I love you so much mother. You will never lose us do you understand me?" Shadow pried her off his shoulder and looked into her red and puffy eyes. He saw Chelsea nod and he took her into another embrace.

"Can we stay like this for a little longer Shadow?"

"As you wish."

So until Chelsea fell asleep Shadow held her protectively in his arms. He carried her to her room and laid her on her bed. He looked at her sleeping form and heard two others come in the room. He didn't bother to look. He already knew who they were. Shadow crossed his arms.

"Who do you think she was talking about?" an azure hedgehog, Sonic, softly said. Silver sat beside the sleeping woman and rubbed her forearm. He looked at Shadow with full concern. "She sounded terrified. Who would want to take us away from her?" Shadow closed his eyes and reopened them. He turned to glare daggers at the closet in his mother's room. He felt unimaginable rage bubble up in his chest and his jaws ache from the pressure he put on them.

"I don't know who exactly but I think I have a pretty good idea."

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Thank you for reading. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	7. Gloves

I kind of had a word dump on this chapter. I also rushed through it and wasn't really paying that much attention so as you can see I'm not all that happy about this chapter. I'm sorry if it's not to your liking. I was tired when I was writing it, which I know is a stupid thing to do, but I really wanted to write this story so...

All grammar and spelling errors are completely my fault.

**Disclaimer: **Sonic and his friends belong to SEGA. Chelsea belongs to me.

**_Oh and happy Father's Day!_**

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Chapter 7: Gloves

It's been a few weeks since the transformation of the three hedgehogs. Every day from then was quite normal, just the usual bickering and nagging from Chelsea and the constant teenage hormonal actions for Sonic, Shadow and Silver. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Chelsea was walking to the living room with a basket full of clothes fresh out of the drier. It was very heavy for her and she stumbled a lot on her way to the couch. She had fallen a few times, in the past, and always felt like a total failure when one of the boys had to carry it for her. So this time, she was determined to make it to the couch without trouble like a real mother. Her grip on the basket was so tight her knuckles turned a light brown. The mountain of clothes was in her face so looking to see where she was wasn't very easy. Chelsea's tongue stuck out in determination. She squeaked when she took a few steps back because of the laundry basket. She blew a relieved sigh after a few moments and continued slowly walking toward her destination. Chelsea looked to her sided and recognized the burgundy walls of her living room. She was almost there; just a few more steps and she'll be at home base. With her spirits uplifted she continued. Everything was going well when she then walked straight into her living room table. Chelsea jerked forward and tightened her grip. She closed her eyes waiting to hit the floor. When she felt nothing she opened her eyes and found herself still standing upright. She laughed warily and smiled. The table didn't make her fall, and it even stopped her from it. Then she realized something. She was right in front of her couch. Chelsea dropped the basket on the glass table and plopped herself on it. She fist pumped in the air in victory. She did it all by herself. With a big, relived, sigh she started to fold the laundry with a stupid smile on her face.

She folded and folded and folded for about a good 20 minutes until she stopped. She looked at white sock in her hands. A twisted look of horror and confusion was plastered on her face.

_Holy cow!_

She picked it up with one hand and observed it like it was an alien. The thing was the size of her head. She knew Sonic characters had big feet but this wasn't even- did bigfoot leave his sock or something? Chelsea blinked multiple times before cautiously folding it and setting it down.

She silently prayed their gloves weren't as huge.

A few more giant socks made their ways to the pile and then the basket was empty. "That's weird. There were no gloves in the basket. Now that I think about it, I've never seen their gloves in the basket. I would think…oh eww! They don't wash their gloves?" A look of disgust made its way to her face. Why wouldn't they wash their gloves? They had them on 24/7. Just the thought of it made her want to puke. She would never admit this but Chelsea was a neat freak and everyone knew that. She wasn't crazy about it she just bugged people about the subject of cleanliness, but this was absolutely unacceptable. This ended now.

"Speedy, Shady, and Silvy, come here please." Her sweet voice dripped with malice. She was waiting for the right moment to lash out at them.

Soon enough, the three brothers stood before her. Shadow glared at her while Sonic gave her a not so happy face. Silver on the other hand fiddled with her phone. He was fascinated by the iPhone. He'd never seen one before and when she presented it to him he was all over it. There wasn't a day where she hasn't seen him without it. She smiled at him. He looked like a four year old with a new toy. He was just too adorable. All the thoughts suddenly disappeared and her face fell. He was holding the iPhone with gloves that haven't been washed in ages. She would bleach the phone later.

Chelsea was sent out of her thoughts when she heard Sonic snapping his fingers and rudely say, "Hey mom! We're here. Now whadd'a want?" Chelsea placed a hand on her hip and frowned. "Why are you so peeved?" she asked a little pissed off herself. He needed to check his attitude. Before Sonic could answer Shadow hissed, "We told not to call us that." He gave her a colder glare and crossed his arms when she laughed.

_At least I know a way to annoy them._

She put on a mask of sorrow on her face when she realized laughing didn't help the situation. She then sweetly said, "I'm sorry I didn't know it upset you guys. Please forgive me." Chelsea held her head down. She peaked up and saw Shadow uncross his arms and Sonic smile a bit. Silver was still oblivious to the whole ordeal. Sonic his hand dismissively and sighed, "It's nothing mom. Just try to use our real names from now on."

"Alright" she smiled innocently.

Silence went about the room before Shadow rolled his eyes and asked, "Mother, you called for us?"

Chelsea's eyes popped open. She completely forgot about the glove problem. "You guys are totally disgusting."

Sonic fidgeted a little before taking a step forward. Offended he exclaimed "What do mean?"

"Let me see your gloves."

"What!"

The attention of all three hedgehogs was now on the young woman. They had looks of disbelief. Chelsea only narrowed her eyes at them. "Did I stutter?"

Silver set the phone down cocked his head to the right. _Why in the world would she want our gloves?_ Sonic was subconsciously playing with his gloves and staring at Chelsea with a weird look. _She's gotta be joking. _Shadow crossed his arms and his ruby eyes were wide and his mouth hung open before he shut it closed. _Is this woman crazy? _

Chelsea shifted her weight to her right leg and held her hand out. When no movement was made from the three she rolled her eyes and impatiently said, "Umm hello? I told you to give me your gloves."

Silver was the first to regain his voice. "I don't mean to sound rude but why do you want our gloves?"

"Think about this. When was the last time you three washed them?"

Sonic blinked and stuttered a bit in surprise. "Wha?"

"When was the last time you cleaned your gloves?" Chelsea said with a high whine.

Shadow stepped in. "We-we haven't ever-"

"My point exactly. You guys have never washed your gloves and that's absolutely disgusting. Now give them to me so I can wash them." Chelsea stuck her hand out to them once more. The three hedgehogs stepped back. She raised an eyebrow at them. They were looking at her like they just found out she was some type of serial killer. What was so bad about taking their gloves off? "What's the matter with you guys? Just take your gloves off."

"What will we wear when they're being washed?" Sonic said.

"Huh? Why do you need to wear something? I'm going to give them back soon. Why is this a problem? Give me the gloves." Sonic, Shadow and Silver just stood there with petrified looks. They glanced at one another before sighing. Slowly and obviously uncomfortably they took off their gloves. Hesitantly they placed the placed their gloves in Chelsea's hands. They backed away and played with their bare hands nervously. They never took their eyes off the floor.

Chelsea looked puzzled. Why were they acting so…so…ashamed? She cocked her head when she saw that all of them had blushes on their muzzles. "What's wrong? Why are you so bent on having your gloves on?" Silver looked up at her and quickly glued his eyes back to the floor. He shifted before he bashfully answered, "Well, because- We're not used to taking our gloves off and it kinda makes us feel…"

"What?"

"Umm…"

"Come on Silvy. I'll never know unless you tell me," Chelsea urged.

"It kind of makes us feel…naked."

Chelsea looked at the three hedgehogs. Her mouth twisted and turned and then she burst out laughing. She threw her heads back in laughter. This was so funny to her. Naked?

All of their blushes grew a shade deeper but Sonic's seemed to be rosier. This was very embarrassing and he didn't appreciate her laughing about it. Feeling naked wasn't something that anyone should laugh about. "H-hey! That's not funny mom. This is really embarrassing!" he cried.

The young woman held her stomach and tried to calm herself down. She was still laughing but she managed to say "Oh…oh I-I'm sorry…K-k…honey it's just that-," she out a hand over her mouth and then shouted, "naked!" Chelsea laughed harder. She gasped for breath as she was now silently laughing. Basically she looked like a retarded seal. Sonic was now red with anger and embarrassment. He grunted angrily and turned his back on her. The azure hedgehog crossed his arms and muttered curses.

Shadow looked at Chelsea with a cold hard glare. It looked like he was trying to shoot lasers out of his eyes. He wished he could too. His bare hands were clenched and he showed his canines as his temper grew and his blush. This was very uncomfortable for him and his brothers and, there was their mother laughing at them when she's supposed to make them feel better. He narrowed his eyes in anger. He shouted "Mother I don't find this humorous." He relaxed a bit when Chelsea looked at him and quieted. He thought he got through to her. His face fell and he scowled when she only laughed harder. "This is absurd," he growled to Sonic and Silver. They nodded and glared along with Shadow at their mother.

Chelsea finally calmed  
down and wiped the tears out of her eyes. This was way too funny. She chuckled when she saw them glare at her. The gloves in her hands were now set in the basket. She rolled her eyes. "Oh stop pouting. I'll buy you more gloves later so don't get your invincible underwear in a bunch. I'm sorry I laughed okay, but I don't understand why you would feel naked. I mean you walk around the house with no clothes on already so you're already naked. I just don't see how taking your gloves off makes you feel naked."

"It just does mom," Silver said placing his hands on her hips. (Their blushes are gone.)

"It's like us telling you to take your shirt off, it's just unusual," Shadow spat.

"Yeah, how would you feel if we came up to you and said 'Hey mom can you take your shirt off?' huh," Sonic huffed.

Chelsea blinked and said "I would ask why but then I'll just give you my shirt. I wouldn't feel embarrassed."

The azure hedgehog scoffed, "You're just saying that."

"No I'm not."

Shadows smirked, "Then take off your shirt mother."

Chelsea shrugged and replied with a simple "Okay." She grabbed the ends of her purple tank top and started pulling it off. Sonic, Shadow and Silver's eyes grew wide and they shouted "Stop! We were just joking." They held out there palms to stop her with blushes back in full vigor. When Chelsea was just about to reveal her bra she lowered her shirt and straightened it out. With another shrug she ignored the terrified faces and walked off with the gloves.

_That'll show them. _She thought with a smirk of victory.

Silver stared at where Chelsea walked off. His mouth hung open. He pointed a shaky finger towards her.

"Di-did she just- but that's not- she would never- but –wha- why would she-" Silver started but Sonic cut him off patting his back. "I don't know Silvs. I don't know." Shadow sighed and rubbed his temples. He shook his head and smirked. Although she was irritating he couldn't help but give the woman credit. She had guts, something he admired.

"All I know is that I feel naked, humiliated, and we're stuck with a mother who is willing to take her shirt off just to prove a point. I'm certain she's gone insane."

The other two just nodded agreeing fully with the statement.

Chelsea dug in her purse, making sure her wallet was in there. She hummed to herself. Her eyes lit up in happiness when she found the black and grey, Coach, wallet. She put her purse on her shoulder and went to her room to get her keys. Chelsea grabbed them and went downstairs to the front door.

"Where are you going mom?"

She turned her head and saw Silver with Sonic. Chelsea smiled and said "Oh, I'm just going to the store to buy you more gloves."

Silver nodded and picked at the freshly cleaned white cotton on his hands. He definitely didn't want the previous issue coming back up ever again. He was about to walk away when he heard Sonic ask, "Can we come?" Silver smiled at the question and turned to look back at Chelsea with expecting eyes. He frowned when she replied with a stiff 'no'. Why couldn't they go with her? They weren't on punishment or anything. They never got to go out of the house. Now that he thought about it, they never went out of the house. Only Chelsea did. Why was that? Silver felt a little miffed at the subject. He didn't know why though. He cocked his head to the side with his face scrunched up. "Why not?"

Chelsea's smile faltered for a second but both hedgehogs caught it. She seemed to have paled a bit. She quietly answered, "Because you don't need to." Her grip tightened on the door knob.

Sonic nodded and watched as her leave. When the door shut close he immediately looked at Silver. Silver looked back at him.

"Did you notice that?"

"Yeah. She was acting a bit strange."

There was something wrong. Sonic knew her and there was something more than just the fact that they didn't need to go. Even if they didn't need to go they still could've gone with her regardless. They've been stuck inside this house for who knows how long and they haven't been out once. Well if you didn't count the backyard but that was fenced. They couldn't see anyone or anything. Why? Was it because they were different? He knew they were different. It was really obvious. I mean he had blue fur and she had brown skin like all those other people on the TV. But other people were different too. Some people had peach skin and they were allowed to go outside and to malls and other stuff like that so why weren't they. He was pretty sure there were other people like him too. Weren't there? He's never seen them on TV but if they were here there had to be others with fur to, right? He's never really thought about it though. Why didn't he see others like him and his brothers? Sonic shook his head. All this thinking was giving him a headache. He would think about it later. Maybe some TV would do the trick.

"Why do you think we couldn't go with her Sonic?"

Silver's question snapped Sonic out of his daze. The azure male shrugged nonchalantly and started walking. He didn't know where though. Silver followed him.

"I don't know Silvs. We can ask Shadow later. He probably knows. Just don't worry about it." Sonic found himself wondering if his last sentence was for Silver or himself.

Chelsea speed walked to her car. They finally asked the question. Well maybe not directly but she could tell they were trying to answer it. How could she tell them that if anyone saw them, three famous cartoon characters, the nation would go berserk? She didn't even want think about the paparazzi. She's heard too many stories about them getting to excited and eventually killing their poor victim. It hasn't even been six months and they're already asking her if they can go out. Chelsea gripped her steering wheel. She couldn't lie to them. They would see right through her. At the front door Sonic and Silver gave her weird looks and she wasn't even fully lying. Shadow would break her right on the spot. She's gotten used to his glares but she had to admit, she sometimes felt intimidated around him.

Chelsea blinked when she found herself in front of the mall. She parked and relaxed in her seat. She didn't realize she was so tense. Chelsea tiredly exhaled and got out of her car.

_If I needed to buy white huge gloves, where would I go?_

"I'm home!"

The 22 year old closed the door behind her with a huff. Finding gloves was harder than it sounded. Especially if you needed to find three pairs that X-tra large. The yellow bag that contained the gloves was put on the living room tables and Chelsea plopped herself on the couch, spreading her legs out. Her feet ached terribly and she might've developed a migraine. She put a hand to her head and rubbed it. At least it was tolerable. Chelsea closed her eyes. Maybe a quick nap would heal her.

"Mom!"

Or we could skip the nap.

The dark skinned woman opened her eyes. She didn't see anybody near her so she shouted, "Yes Sonic!?"

"Could you come upstairs!?"

Chelsea groaned. Why did she have to move? Couldn't she just stay here?

"Do I have to!?"

"Yes please!"

With another loud groan she lifted herself off the couch and walked sluggishly to the voice's owner. She mumbled curses when she almost missed a step. At least Sonic asked her nicely.

Chelsea rubbed her eyes trying to get rid of the sleep but it wasn't helping. Climbing the stairs made her migraine worsen too. She saw Sonic, Shadow and Silver in her room looking at her with serious faces. Not paying much attention to them she continued to rub one of her eyes as she leaned on the door frame. "I got you guys' new sets of gloves today so you'll always have one on when I'm washing the other pairs" she said after a yawn.

Sonic tried to smile at her but it ultimately failed. Chelsea still was too focused on her migraine to notice the stiff mood of the three hedgies. She yawned again and put an arm underneath the arm rubbing her eye. She lightly tapped her foot; she was getting a bit irritated. "Baby, I've got a migraine so could you tell me why you called for me?"

"Mom, why are we on TV?"

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Thank you for reading. **R&R**

**_~God Bless You~_**


	8. Emotions Are Too Much

I don't think I did very well in this chapter but I will submit it. I think I rushed a little and I'm sorry for that. I'm going through something and the emotions I had helped me write this. Anyway, sorry I'm rambling, lets continue with this. I mention 4Kids in this and I'm sorry if I offend anybody.

**Disclaimer: Sonic and others belong to SEGA. Chelsea belongs to me.**

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Chapter 8: Emotions Are Too Much

Her eye suddenly felt better.

Chelsea's blood ran cold, her body stiffed and she felt she was in the movie, _12 Angry Men, _and she was the only one who voted non-guilty. She looked at the three hedgehogs before her. She couldn't bring herself to look at them for more than two seconds and, even that felt like an eternity. Their stares bored into her like a hot knife into butter. She could feel it.

_S-O-N-I-C GO!_

_S-O-N-I-C GO!_

_GO! GO! GO! GO! LET'S GO!_

The young woman snatched the remote out of the azure hedgehog's hands and turned the television off. She threw the remote on the bed and stood there, facing the TV. She couldn't face them. She would probably get weird looks. She only watched the Japanese versions because 4Kids messed up the show.

"Mother, why are we in a show?"

Chelsea grimaced at the deep voice. She always had the feeling, that one day they would find out they were fictional characters. She didn't expect the day to come so quickly. They were ideas that Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka had. They weren't real. At least they weren't supposed to be. Chelsea's subconscious always knew she had to be more careful about the subject. She had to hide the games well and watch what they watched on TV just in case. But she was too careless.

Chelsea turned to them with her arms cross and a grim look on her face. She didn't know why she was angry. She just was. She thought maybe it was to hide the bombarding emotions that she couldn't handle but, it was just a thought; a thought that she pushed away to the deepest corner of her mind.

"Who gave you permission to be in my room, because I don't recall ever giving you any?"

Sonic, Shadow and Silver looked at her with surprise. This was definitely the answer they were hoping for. They looked at each other. This was too confusing. The brothers first find out two of them are in a show and then when they ask, World War III suddenly breaks out. What was this? They decided to ask a question to the only, other, person they ever knew and she only scorned them for entering her room. The making of the question came from stuff that was in her room!

Chelsea's brows furrowed together when all she received silent answers. She felt her temper rise, though the reason why never showed itself. "Well? I asked you three a question and I expect an answer."

Silver stood from the bed with a plastic case in his shaking hand. This was all too much for the young hedgehog but he needed to be strong. He couldn't break down because of this. He straightened himself to his full height and felt all eyes in the room look at him. He looked straight into chocolate irises and felt his walls soften. Silver almost didn't recognize his mother's eyes. Timidly he said "M-mom, why are all three of us in a game?"

Silver flinched when Chelsea roughly took the plastic case out of his hands. He stared at her when she brought up the white case to her face. He relaxed when he saw her eyes soften. A soft smile made its way on his lips and he walked towards her carefully reaching an arm out for her. He stepped back with a gasp when she threw the thing at the wall on the far side of the room. Sonic and Shadow stood up at this point. Silver's head jerked back and his arms were brought to his arms in front of his chest when Chelsea's face was an inch away from his. He saw her eyes widen with anger. Uncontrollable anger. Anger he's never saw in her eyes. He could feel tears threaten to roll down his cheeks.

Chelsea's breathing turned into harsh pants and she stared Silver down with malice. Her heart screamed at her to stop the eccentric behavior but her body wouldn't listen to it. The look on the young hedgehog's face sent an ax through her heart but her mind wouldn't allow her body to stop. Her mind was in control now.

With a smile filled with anything but love and happiness spread on her face. It made her look…insane almost. Harshly she laughed, "Oh so now you think you can go through your mother's stuff without permission. I wonder what caused the idea." The smile disappeared when she felt a hand her upper arm. The hand spun her around and she looked at her eye level to see shimmering green eyes look at her with worry and confusion. Chelsea tried shake off his hand and glared at him also. "Don't you ever grab me again Sonic. Do you understand me? I said let go!"

Sonic shook his head. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting so cruel? She wasn't like this. She never acted like this. He had to admit, this whole situation was a bit too much to handle but he couldn't handle his mom this way. He wanted his mother back and he wanted her back now. Sonic took a step forward with determination giving him new strength his voice still held worry. "Mom what's wrong with you? Why are you so upset? This is confusing to us and we only asked you to explain to us. You didn't need to scream at Silver or throw anything." The azure hedgehog grunted when Chelsea smacked his hand. He instantly let go of her and held his stinging hand. He gritted his teeth. Chelsea barked, "When I tell you to let go you let go. And who gave you the right to tell me what to do. I'm your mother Sonic."

Chelsea was whipped around when two hands tightly wrapped themselves around her wrists. She saw Shadow give her one of his death glares and that seemed to tick her off more. "Shadow the Hedgehog you take your hands off me now," she shouted as she struggled to get out of his grip. Shadow's voice boomed, "You are giving me one hell of a headache Chelsea. Why are you acting like such a mad woman?"

Chelsea continued to struggle, unfazed by the dark hedgehog's demeanor. She caught glances of Sonic and Silver looking at her with frightened faces. She looked like she had gone ballistic. Whenever her hand would get close enough she would hit Shadow's chest. He seemed unaffected but you could tell this was getting on his nerves. His fangs were showing and he was a hard time keeping her under control. Shadow was taller and well built, so if he was having a hard time keeping her in his hold she must've been fighting hard.

Chelsea didn't know what was going on. Truthfully she felt like her mind and body were taking over. Her heart was shattered and brutally torn by her actions. She couldn't believe what she was doing. It was like her mind was trying to keep her from experiencing all the overwhelming feelings on the outside. Instead it only caused her to feel more pain. This scared her. She was screaming at herself to stop but it was like the message wasn't sent to her brain. She felt like her soul held the shattered pieces of her heart and she could only watch what her body was doing.

"Dammit Shadow let go of me!" Chelsea screamed.

Shadow backed her into a wall. Chelsea still kept fighting with her arms in front of her. She tried to kick with her legs but Shadow stood on her feet with his legs against hers. The crimson splashed male sometimes pinned her wrist to the wall but she would remove it. Shadow was up to his breaking point and he shrieked, "Stop acting like an incompetent bitch and calm down before I have to make you."

"How dare you-you disrespectful, useless bastard!"

Shadow slapped Chelsea. The smacking sound silenced everything in the room. All that was heard was the heavy panting from the two on the wall. Chelsea looked in the direction Shadow hit her in. Her face was blank but her eyes were wide. Shadow stepped off of her feet but still held onto her wrists. His eyes softened and his panting subsided. The young woman slowly turned her head to look at him. Chelsea stared at him like she didn't know who he was. Quietly she said "Why'd you do that?"

Shadow looked into her eyes and shook his head pitifully. He roughly twisted her and made her body face Sonic and Silver. "Do you see that? Look what you've done. We ask you a simple question and you turn into someone we don't even know. Chelsea, look at them!" The dark-skinned woman looked at them like she was told to and gasped. Silver held onto Sonic while he shivered. Tear stains were evident on his muzzle and he looked terrified. She could hear his muffled sobs of wanting his mother back. Sonic rubbed his back but he held on to Silver tightly with shivers also. The sight brought back memories of when they first appeared. They were frightened and holding each other tightly, with Sonic being the one trying to protect Silver. Chelsea hated the people who made them that terrified and now she hated herself for causing them this much pain. She quickly looked away when Sonic's glossy eyes caught hers.

Shadow twisted her back to face him. She looked at him with sorrowful eyes. The ebony hedgehog glared at her and his voice dangerously rose, "Now tell me why we are on the television." Chelsea only whispered, "I'm so sorry Shadow. I'm so sorry."

"That did not answer my question Chelsea."

Said person hung her head low and walked to the bed. She sat down, delicately placing her hands on her lap. She finally realized why her mind took over. Inside, she knew she couldn't handle the emotions. She would have a nervous breakdown on the spot. She would go insane but her mind did that anyway. Those pills didn't work. She was surprised she hasn't started crying yet.

Keeping her gaze fixed on her lap, Chelsea quietly motioned for them to come sit next to her. After several minutes of cautiously making their way over to her they finally sat near the woman. She laughed lightly. What she was about to say wasn't going to be easy for all four of them but it couldn't be avoided any longer. Steadily and emotionlessly she told them everything from why they were on TV and what they were supposed to be to how they became part of her-one person-family.

When she was done she smiled. Usually when you choose to expose a secret an invincible weight is supposed to lift off your shoulders, but instead she felt the weight on her shoulders triple. Her smile grew bigger when tears started rolling off her face and into her hands. She gasped as she tried to hold in her cries though she didn't try to wipe away the tears. She sat there trembling; feeling like her heart was being set on fire.

"M-mommy, please don't cry."

She chocked back a sob and clenched her hands. Silver's sweet voice pierced her.

"Mom stop it please. I don't like that. Mommy we're not mad at you."

Sonic's child like tone made her cup her hands to her nose and gasp even more. It was getting harder to control her crying.

"Cry mother."

Chelsea squeezed her eyes shut and felt three pairs of arms wrap around her quivering form. Shadow's voice was all that was needed to make her break. She had a nervous breakdown in their arms. She felt Silver dig his head in her side, Sonic nuzzle in her chest and Shadow bury his head in her neck. Chelsea felt her neck, back and chest get wet with hot tears. She clung tighter when she heard from Shadow, "Please momma." Her hysterical crying brought all three of them to tears. Like so many nights before they held each other like that throughout the night while they let today sink in and make a tattoo in their hearts.

* * *

You finally found out what the pills were for...more will be explained later.

Thank you for reading. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	9. The Next Day

I worked super hard on this chapter and I think it's my best one yet. I might revise the other chapters later because now that I look back on it, they're not all that great.

All grammar and spelling errors are completely my fault. Correct me please.

**Disclaimer: **Sonic and his friends belong to SEGA. Chelsea belongs to me.

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Chapter 9: The Next Day

The morning broke hard. The sunlight peeked out the burgundy curtains that were repetitively teased by the blowing breeze. The silhouettes, from the bodies lying on the bed, moved sluggishly around constantly clashing and moving together. The mattress' springs screeched from the weight.

The burning day star's blaze slammed onto, silver metal colored, eyelids. A light crimson color replaced the comforting black inside the movable folds of skin. Silver scrunched his face and in irritation before turning his head in the soft, lavender sheets. He huffed in annoyance; he certainly couldn't breathe this way. He pondered on the dilemma before a light bulb seemed to illuminate above his head. Constructively, he rotated to his side and instantly found relief away from the uninviting light.

Silver's short, black, and shiny schnozzle whiffed the familiar scent of warm cinnamon. He snuggled closer to the sweet smelling aroma and found himself against stretched skin under wrinkled cotton. He felt the lent tickle his nose which caused a feeling of needing to sneeze. Silver tilted his noggin, downward and sighed in relief when the tingling feeling in his nose went away. It was too early to be truly awake.

The metallic colored hedgehog nuzzled his way back against the cotton, careful to position his nose in a certain way to avoid sneezing, and wrapped his arms around the body. He could feel the indent in the skin of where the spine was if he pressed his muzzle hard enough. A peaceful grin made its way across Silver's face. The smell of his mother filled his nostrils, which put him in a daze, and her steady breathing sounded as a lullaby to him. Before falling asleep he quietly prayed to The Holy One, thanking Him for protecting everyone throughout the night and letting another glorious day appear.

It was 12:23 and the afternoon sun was blazing. The curtains could no longer restrict most of the warm sunlight. The usual dull green paint on the walls was currently a lime green tone like fresh paint was applied that day. The unstained hearts glowed with an almost blinding white with a yellow tint from the sun. The fiery star shone brightly throughout the room and on the sleeping forms, pleading to be known. It could no longer be disregarded.

A peach arm dragged its way upwards and draped across, what seemed to be, the verge of a hip. The possessor of the limb was unconscious until the very same arm collided with two others. Azure eyelids unfolded only halfway to reveal lazy green orbs.

Sonic shut his eyes away from the blinding light. He buried his head in between something furry and smooth in attempt to lose consciousness again. He exhaled, surrendering his fruitless attempt in sleeping. Accepting defeat he rubbed his eyes with, a free hand, and turned on his back side to release his other.

A grunt of surprise escaped the blue hedgehog's coral pink lips. Underneath, he felt something rub against his spine in an uncomfortable fashion. Sonic shifted and rolled back into his original position, on his side, to relieve himself of the discomforting sensation upon his back. He shrugged off the feeling and stared straight ahead.

The azure male came face to face with his mother. He lightly chuckled at her positioning. Her cheek almost overlapped her left eye from the pressure she put on it. The action made her lips push out to an, almost, duck face appearance. Carefully, his hand made its way to remove a piece of her ebony hair away from her squished face.

Chelsea's face twitched. The piece of hair that was removed from across her nose gave her a slight tickle. Sonic snatched his hand back, to his chest, in fear of waking her up. Luckily for him the she stayed in her unconscious state. He sighed; the feeling of waking her up wasn't something he wanted on his conscious. He already had a mountain of things to deal with.

"Are you trying to wake her up faker?"

Sonic forest green eyes flashed towards the origin of the deep voice. He looked to see Shadow with his head laying on one of the pillows and turned to the right. His eyes were shut and a light scowl was placed on his features than his usual deep one. Sonic propped himself, gently, on his elbows and saw the dark hedgehogs left arm firmly around Silver's shoulder and Chelsea's waist. His head turned 180˚ to find his other arm lying where he had been.

_That's probably what I laid on._

The ocean blue male lied back down. He replied with a subtle apology.

"You should be."

Sonic just merely snuggled closer. The threat was, he thought, supposed to make him flinch or cower in fear but the sleepy tone it had to it betrayed its purpose. He then wondered how Shadow would've known what he was doing. Sonic saw Chelsea's head on the furry white contrast of chest hair and her body lying on top of his. It took a moment or two but it finally clicked. He must've felt her face twitch. Congratulating himself on his stupendous thinking skills, Sonic rubbed his nose in the cocky way he did when in victory; if you would call this a winning situation. The small achievement was soon cut short when he heard the darker hedgehog.

"We should get up anyway. It's…" Shadow craned his neck, over the head on his chest, trying to find the nearby digital clock. When he found the timepiece he read the florid fuchsia, "12:31."

Sonic groaned and grabbed a pillow; he shoved it on top of his head to show his annoyance. He was awake but that didn't mean he wanted to get out of bed. To him, this was always the hardest part of the day.

Unknown to Sonic, his defiance caused him to hit an unsuspecting person with the pillow. The lavender coated cotton bashed onto Chelsea's head. She bolted straight up in surprise. Her hair was scattered about, messily, on her head and her eyes were wide with alarm. She sputtered incoherent words and her head moved side to side like she was watching a tennis match.

Silver awoke from the sudden jerk he felt. He blinked and propped himself on his hands. He yawned and stretched a hand out to get the blood flowing again. His light salmon colored lips smacked together, and Silver grimaced at the taste in his mouth. All of sudden he looked into disturbed chocolate irises. They moved back as quickly as they arrived and was followed by an ear-splitting scream. Silver jolted back in alarm, letting out a cry himself. Next thing he knew he was on the floor with an ache in his rump and a purple sheet covering his head.

Shadow growled in acridity and quickly sat up ready to beset the blue male with all of his being. Unfortunately for him he sat up too quickly for his own good. He collided into his mother's head causing him to retract his head back to the bed; putting a hand on his forehead he gritted his teeth in agony. A distressed grunt came out as he rubbed the stinging bump on the top of his head. He would make Sonic pay.

Sonic observed the three from a safe distance. The starter of all the commotion was at the doorway; standing with his hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. After Shadow sat up he decided it wouldn't do him harm to stand away from the angry hedgehog. He valued his life and when he infuriated his older brother, he mildly feared for it.

The azure hedgehog chuckled nervously when glares were sent his way. He inched towards the stairs which were, luckily for him, right out the door.

_If they show any signs of aggression, make a break for it._

"Blue hedgehog, you better have a good reason for causing this mess," Shadow growled with barely contained rage. They just woke up and they were already paying the consequences for Sonic's actions.

"Sorry but, y-you guys should know by now when I wake up I'm not functioning properly."

"You're never functioning properly Sonic," Silver huffed gripping the sheets on top of him and then ripping it off his head. He was defiantly not pleased he was woken up so dynamically.

"Hey!"

"He's right," Shadow added with a growl.

"That's not nice"

"If you would've just gotten up peacefully, like I asked you earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"I said I was sorry."

"I don't believe you," Silver spat.

In the room you could feel the tension building between the three hedgehogs. Two against at one; all of them glaring with vexation and bile. Sonic's hands were balled up into shaking fists and his jaws were locked tight. Silver had the purple, cotton, sheets in his grasp and he looked like he was about to tear it into two. Shadow also had a hand balled up into a serried fist in front of him. He too had his arm around Chelsea's waist, who sat next to him, securely.

Chelsea winced. The grip Shadow had on her tightened every second and she was finding it hard to breathe; the intensity level of the room didn't help either. Her face twisted into one with discomfort. She put a hand on the ebony hedgehog's forearm and tried pushing it away trying to give him a hint about her inquietude. Her shoulder's dropped in displeasure when Shadow didn't even make an effort to loosen his hold on her. She tried a bolder approach and attempted to move away. It idea was found unprosperous. Right now she felt like one of those anger balls you squeeze when you need to let off steam.

The young woman huffed placing her forehead in between her thumb and pointer finger. She was tired, annoyed and miffed and she's only been up for ten minutes.

"Could you guys calm down? I really don't feel like solving problems right now and Shadow could you please let go of me. I can't breathe."

Said hedgehog withdrew his arm almost instantly. He muttered an apology soon after. The other two hedgehogs let go of most of their anger but you could feel the lingering malice.

Awkward silence filled the room. Chelsea looked at all the hedgehogs, which were in a daze, before bouncing off the mattress. The horrendous squeak made them jump seeming to snap them back to reality. Chelsea stood up scratching her scalp and then fixing her hair. A soft smile teased her lips as they looked at her questioningly.

"Is anyone hungry?"

Chelsea scraped the metal pan with the non-stick spatula. The eggs fell delicately on the, off white, plate next to two strips of bacon. She toted the dish to the dining table and placed it alongside two others. She set the table and placed the dishes in their appropriate spots; according to portion. With a satisfied nod she called out, "Breakfast is ready!"

"Coming!"

Two, black and blue, hedgehogs sauntered down the stairs while one came from the family room. Each one seated themselves in their typical spots.

Sonic gazed, puzzled, at the common breakfast plate. He looked at Chelsea with honest curiosity and questioned, "Why are we eating breakfast? It's like, in the afternoon."

The young mother grabbed the used pan. She silently sang the pop song coming from the purple headphones in her ears. She stood there, washing the saucepan, oblivious to the azure hedgehog's question. Chelsea heard a faint voice that was not part of the tune she was listening to. She plucked an ear bud out and asked, "Did someone say something?" keeping her eyes on the soapy pan.

Sonic blew out a huff of frustration. Up until now he's had to basically bellow out her name in order to catch her attention. She was always virtually not here when she had her earphones in. He shook his head and dismissed the topic. Again he said "Why are we eating breakfast mom?"

Chelsea put the pan in the dishwasher. "Well I thought, because we just woke up, you guys would just want breakfast." She looked at him with a slightly worried expression. "If you don't want it I can just-"

Sonic waved his hands. "No it's alright. I was just asking."

"Okay."

Not much went on from there. The three hedgehogs ate their rations quite peacefully, except when Shadow almost suffocated on a piece of bacon from laughing. Silver had to slap his back a manifold of times before he could suck in air that his lungs craved for. After he affirmed his well being he put his head down on the burgundy wood shaking, attempting desperately to hold in his hilarity. The younger brothers raised their eyebrows and cocked their heads in silent curiosity. It wasn't often you saw Shadow the Hedgehog laugh genuinely.

"What happened?" Silver asked.

Shadow waved a hand. He secretly wiped the tears from his eyes before raising his head. A grin crossed his muzzle as he continued to eat his meal with mirth, ignoring the whiny comments from the other two. The ruby eyed male took a momentary look at his mother before stifling another laugh. There, in the kitchen, was Chelsea dancing. She wobbled her head from side to side while shaking her hips along with her head. She first danced like an Egyptian before than doing the robot. After, she did a swimming style ahead of going all sassy. She lip sung with a finger in the air, hand on her hip and rolling her eyes at whatever object she was singing to. Chelsea then stretched her mouth, similar to how a person sings a long note. Shadow almost choked, again, when she stuck her bottom out and moved it in a circular motion then went straight into a Beyoncé move.

When Chelsea opened her eyes from flipping her hair, heat rose to her cheeks. She met amused crimson eyes with her own. Shadow smirked and winked at her after giving her a quick silent applaud. Her eyes were wide and she darted off to the refrigerator to put head in it, and also to get out of the sight of the silent viewer. She was debating whether or not she should go out of the kitchen ever again.

Sonic smiled, with a bursting belly, in the guest room. He lied on his back rubbing his swollen abdomen letting out content sigh. The blue male craned his neck when he heard the click of the room's entrance. He relaxed his neckline when he saw his darker look alike. Shadow sat on the other side of the bed causing the mattress to squeak in complaint. Sonic rested his arms at the rear of his head mentally preparing for what his older brother had to say. "What up bro?" Sonic said, trying to start the conversation off lightly.

"We need to talk Sonic," Shadow said with a bit of compunction tingeing his voice. He found a nearby mirror, staring at his reflection.

The said hedgehog sat up hastily. His forest green eyes twinkled with revelation and his mouth hung ajar. His ear twitched at Shadow's words. He almost never called him by his real name. Something must be wrong. A little too quickly he asked "What about buddy?"

"About last night," the other said somewhat darkly.

Sonic's eyes followed Shadow carefully as went to shut the door. He felt his heart pound against his ribs at the statement. Last night…last night wasn't a memory he was fond of. The yelling and screaming and then the hitting and eventually the crying; that was mainly what he recalled. It had been a confusing night for the four and very much an emotional one too.

"Last night," Sonic echoed a bit strained.

Shadow stood in front of him with his arms cross and his usual scowl marking his features except, this one was a bit deeper, Sonic's opinion.

"Correct," the crimson splashed hedgehog acknowledged.

"Shouldn't Silver be in this also-"

"He's helping mother with the dishes," Shadow directed a nod towards the door, "and I think we should keep her occupied for a bit. We'll inform Silver about our discussion afterwards."

Sonic curtly nodded.

The ebony hedgehog sighed, "Last night, after our…incident what did mother tell us? My memory of the event seems to have left me."

Sonic winced at the word 'incident' remembering details of Shadow slapping their mother. "She told us we were characters created by a company called…umm sijar? No um...sssegeraa? Uhh… sssseee-"

"Sega genius," Shadow spat.

The cobalt hedgehog's face brightened and he nodded furiously exclaiming, "Thanks Shads."

He obviously missed the sarcasm.

Shadow growled in meek impatience. He pinched the skin in between his eyes, wordlessly counting to ten; a tactic Chelsea told him to use around Sonic when he got annoyed. "What else?" he barked.

"Umm…I think-wait." Sonic put his chin amidst his pointer finger and thumb. Shadow's patience was wearing thin already but, before he was able to say anything the Sonic spoke, "Sorry Shads, but to tell you the truth," he raised his palms upwards, "all I remember is that, she said, we were dropped of here by some organization or something."

Shadow scoffed. "I should've taken Silver. He would've been of better use to me than you faker."

"Hey! At least I could remember something. You said yourself, you couldn't remember anything," the navy male cried out.

"I have retained information blue hedgehog!"

"Yeah, like what," he retorted.

Shadow looked up in thought before smirking in success. "Mother said we had our own individual powers and all of us had some type of transformation that enhanced our abilities to the point where we would become virtually invincible."

Sonic's pout twisted into something similar to an awe-struck puppy. His eyes glimmered with excitement and he jumped to his feet. The idea of powers sent waves of exhilaration through his body and he felt his adrenaline pump up to a quick speed. Something inside him craved to know what sort of potential he had and what great things he could achieve with it. "Really, powers? That's way past cool if you ask me."

"I agree." The dark male smirked. He had to admit, the thought of having that great amount of power tasted sweet to him. There were so many possibilities that one could complete easily if granted the potential. No one would be able to stop him in anything he did. He could have anything he wanted whenever he wanted. Thoughts of the immense capability to bring down buildings and take aircrafts with a single hand sent shivers of pleasure through his spine. He could see the highest authorities bow down before him and if they defied, he would laugh as they tried to squirm away before he would slice-

"Hey Shads you okay there?" Sonic snapped his fingers in front of the others spaced out countenance. Shadow blinked himself back to reality before clearing his throat and stiffly nodding. "Okay good because that creepy smile you had was giving me the heeby jeebies." The cerulean hedgehog felt a tremble shoot down his spinal column. Sonic did a double take when he thought he saw Shadow blushing. He shook his head in complete rebuttal. There was no way Shadow was blushing; it was his mind playing a vindictive hoax on him, trying to get him hit in the gut.

"A-anyway," Shadow continued trying to overlook his ruthless thoughts. Sonic squinted at him. Was his voice deeper than usual or was it just him; and did he just stutter? He shrugged off the unusual behavior and listened to what he had to say. "I also think she mentioned something about jewelry but I remember I couldn't really hear. We should probably ask Silver if he knows any information that could help us."

"We can also play the games and watch the show we're on. I think it's called Sonic X. That'll probably help us know what powers we have."

"I believe researching on the internet will prove to be enough."

"Why do you want to look on the computer?"

"I don't think mother will appreciate us watching a show, what caused her so much distress, in her room. Besides, it takes too long and she probably broke the game also."

"Oh. Good point," Sonic mumbled, all his cheerfulness almost leaving him.

Gauche silence crept into the darkest corners of the room before cramming the entire room. The two brothers stood there evading the other's eyes. Sonic shifted uncomfortably while Shadow unintentionally picked at his gloves. Both of them mentally sighed in relief when their youngest brother strolled through the door. Together they raised a brow; Silver was dripping wet with water. The silvery male sweat dropped and sheepishly said, "Don't ask."

"Sorry I got you wet Silvy!" a familiar voice bellowed.

Sonic and Shadow sweat dropped at this point.

"It's okay mom."

An explanation later Silver was filled in with the information they retained. The older ones asked if he remembered anything. He nodded ecstatic he could help. "Okay I'll start from the beginning. Stop me if you've already gone over any of this. Well mom said we were characters-"

"Created by Sega. We went over that. Anything about Sega and the games and or show, we've gone through," Shadow disrupted.

"Okay," Silver bobbed his head briskly, "Um…when she first found Shadow he was in a crib and there were two bags of infant supplies. She said the uh…oh, M.R.F. left a note saying you were dropped off here because over there, there was some kind of war going on. About three months later mom found me and Sonic-"

"Sonic and I…"

Silver and Shadow glared at Sonic.

The hedgehog put his hands up in defense and said nonchalantly, "Hey, you should be happy mom's not here."

Silver rolled his eyes and went on. "Sonic and **I,**" he eyed the azure male who just shrugged, "in the same room she found Shadow and for the same reason. So after that she took care of us like any other mother. Then she said the weirdest thing." The black and blue hedgehogs inched closer. "She said that one day we turned from five year olds to how we are now but, the thing is I don't feel like I've gone through a dramatic change."

"Me neither."

"I concur."

"Anyway then she got that note-the one that someone threatened to take us away. After that…hmm…that's all I remember. Oh! Do you guys know your powers?" When the two shook their heads no Silver began. "Mom said there was a lot so she only named the commonly known ones. Sonic you have super speed. You're the fastest thing alive as she said. You can run at the speed of sound, spin dash, where you curl up into a ball and spin attacking your enemy, and something called the blue tornado. Shadow, you can manipulate chaos. I don't exactly know what chaos is but it seems pretty cool. You have to have a chaos emerald and with that you can teleport and control time and space. When you need to, you can use something called a chaos blast but it drains most of your energy. You can also attack with a chaos spear and you can also travel at the speed of sound but only if you have your rocket shoes on."

Shadow looked at the shoes on his feet. "I've been wondering what the purpose of these shoes were for."

"What about you Silvs?" Sonic inquired.

Silver beamed proudly and pointed a thumb to his chest. "I have the power of psychokinesis. I can lift things with my mind, bend almost anything, levitate myself and fly at great speeds but, I'm not as fast as you guys. Another thing, we can all go into our super forms, teleport with a chaos emerald, and spin dash."

Sonic, Shadow and Silver looked at each other with tired expressions. This report the grey hedgehog gave was psychologically exhausting. As a matter a fact this whole thing was arduous. Finding out you were created for entertainment purposes was hard to fathom and it wasn't all that thrilling either well, to Shadow and Silver anyway. Sonic enjoyed the idea of being an illustrious hero.

A thought abruptly appeared in Silver's mind. He spoke, "We haven't been showing any signs of our powers and how do we know we even have them? I mean, I don't think I've lifted anything with my mind and you guys are fast but you're not that fast."

"You're right. We should try and see if we can somehow activate our powers," Sonic pointed.

"That is if we even have powers" Shadow said.

"Well you have rocket shoes so there must be some possibility that we do."

"Fine, we'll go in the backyard and work on it but after we do some research. We have to be well informed before we do something stupid."

Silver agreed while Sonic whined, "Aww come on. Why do you always have to take the fun out of everything? Why can't we just wing it? It's funner!"

Silver stomped on the ground and gave the cerulean male his dirtiest look. "When I say' me and Sonic' World War III starts but when you say 'funner' it's alright? 'Funner' isn't a word you idiot. You are the one that shoulder be thanking God with all of your being that mom wasn't here."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Mom wouldn't do anything right Shadow?"

"My apologies faker but mom would've gone off on you," Shadow snickered.

The azure male huffed and trudged his way out the door muttering profanities. Shadow simply held out a hand and Silver smacked it; both looked at the fuming hedgehog with smirks on their muzzles.

Their occupation was to annoy Sonic at all times.

Chelsea sat on the couch drawing circles on the arm of the divan. The black leather squeaked every time she applied to much pressure on the fabric. Her teeth gritted at the sound and yet she still kept doodling invisible lines. Her boredom had caused her, many times, to have dim moments. Lately she's been finding herself on the sofa doing whatever she could do to keep from going insane from tedium. She cleaned the house already and the boys didn't need anything. Her thoughts pondered to last night. Then she immediately dismissed it. It was too painful and besides, she couldn't remember half the stuff that happened.

Minutes of boredom seemed like hours. The dark-skinned woman took a peak at the clock. The lime green, illuminated, numbers read 2:17. She brought a living room pillow to her face and screeched into it. She let her body fall, lifelessly, on the couch cushions. She was 22 and she was doing nothing but cleaning, feeding and then more cleaning. Beings her age were out having fun, getting job, going on dates and she was here acting like a 48 year old mother of eight.

Her parents already paid off the house so she didn't need to worry about the mortgage payments, and the money the M.R.F. keeps putting into her account takes care of the other bills so would getting a job even be reasonable? She thought it over again before deciding a little extra money wouldn't hurt her. Now all she had to do was think of what job she would apply for. She could be a dance teacher…nah too much work. She could be an assistant for one of the local doctors. She shook her head. She'd rather be the one to be the doctor. She would get to envious of the innocent person's position and get fired for her malicious attitude. How about a maid? No, just no.

Chelsea rolled on her backside and put her forearm over her forehead. She was ready to give up her mental expedition before something popped in her head. She could be a waiter. It was common, simple, easy-depending on where you go- and best of all she might get to wear one of those cute outfits she always sees. The young woman squealed in excitement. She looked at the cable clock again; 2:23. She still had time.

Chelsea leaped off the sofa and scurried to get her shoes. She hurriedly slipped the bronze sandals on her feet. She grabbed her purse and made sure to take her phone. On her way out the door she shouted, "I'll be back in a couple of hours. Love you guys; goodbye," she shut the door behind her without waiting for an answer.

* * *

Thank you for reading. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	10. Powers Cause Problems

Well this took awhile to type. This is long one so I hope you enjoy it.

All grammar and spelling errors are completely my fault. Please point them out.

**Disclaimer: Sonic and anyone related to him belong to SEGA. Chelsea and Drew belong to me.**

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Chapter 10: Powers Cause Problem

Chelsea sauntered hastily, back, towards the front desk. She plastered as much of a smile she could conjure up and greeted a family of four.

"Hello welcome to Jenny's."

The young woman was now working at a local restaurant about ten minutes from her house. After she speedily filled out the application form and turned it in, the next day she was called and asked to work on Monday. She was ecstatic when she received the call. Secretly she knew get the job, but her nerves still racked her during the, less than, 24 hour wait.

Chelsea had earned a few peculiar looks, when she jumped on her bed, from the three hedgehogs.

She had to break that habit.

When she steadily got off the bed she quickly explained to them of the previous events. Chelsea beamed while doing so. The satisfaction of having and earning a job electrified her spirits to no end. She didn't know why but it just did. Her mother dreaded the days she would have to go to work and always nitpick to her about the endless amount of crying she dealt with at night. Chelsea never fully understood why she complained though. Wasn't she the one who wanted to be a pediatric physician? Her father was an engineer but she never was familiar with what he essentially did. She never had time or the will to look it up either. The thing was he never talked about it, only his past experiences of being a cook, waiter, assistant etc. All she summoned up from his speeches was that he thought people were a pain.

_Rude._

Chelsea needed her elucidation with her ear-splitting grin. Her three boys would be so proud of her; getting a job wasn't something she did everyday and she didn't even mess this up! Her smile faltered when all she got back were blank faces. Weren't they pleased with her news? She sure was. The dark-skinned woman raised her eyebrows in expectation, her grin obtaining its difficulty in holding. Silence still bounced off the green walls until someone, as they say, broke the ice.

"Why?"

The three letter question slipped through the azure hedgehog's lips like she was forcing him to drink curdled milk. The look he gave her, as if she just gave him up and kicked him to the curb, made her insides bubble with conniption and apprehension. Did she do something wrong?

Her dark brows furrowed slightly but she still kept the painful smile while she spoke, "What do you mean sweetie?"

"Why do you need a job? You didn't need one before." Silver answered shrugging. The young woman found the bubbles popping, his response wasn't as hurtful.

Chelsea bit her lip. This reply wasn't going to get good feedback. "Well you see," she pouted her lips, as she did when she got sheepish at times; "I noticed I was frequently getting bored so, to solve the problem, I got a job."

That didn't sound sensible in any way, shape or form.

She grimaced when she attained dead pan stares. She innocently raised her palms upwards and exclaimed, "Wha'd I do?"

"Mother what you just said was absolutely ridiculous."

Chelsea felt a little insulted at Shadow's retort. She crossed her arms and turned her back on them muttering a few choice words. "Well I'm sorry you guys don't need me as much anymore." She made sure to hide the smirk crossing her features. This tactic would sure to have them feel bad. It worked on television so why not in the real world? "I know it's stupid but still, you guys are always off doing something without me and I'm alone doing nothing but cleaning and whatever people my age aren't supposed to do. So I thought to keep me off your backs I might as well get a job. Sorry I even bothered telling you." Chelsea ended with a huff.

Her smirk grew when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Making sure to erase the evil grin and replace it with a look sorrow, Chelsea turned twisted herself to look at Sonic. She bit back the feeling to laugh at his apologetic face.

"Geez mom you don't have to get all emotional. We didn't mean anything by it we were just," he trailed off looking at the other two, "surprised. In truth, it's going to be kind of lonely when you're gone." Silver and Shadow stepped towards her nodding in agreement stating their apologies.

Chelsea smiled softly and went to hug them which the willingly returned. She squeezed them and muttered "I love you."

"I love you too," they said in unison.

She released them and walked out of the room without another word. As she was walking, down the stairs, she high-fived herself. Chelsea exposed her wide, evil, grin, relieving the ache from clenching her jaws so tightly. The three hedgehogs could put up there 'cool' appearance for as long as they want but she could crack them with just one sentence. If she acted hurt they would instantly become pudding in her hands.

"Honey I'm sorry to be a bother but, table 16 is ready for you to take their orders."

"Oh, no worries Cathy. Thank you."

The 22 year old rushed with her note pad, tightly gripped in between her fingers. She arrived at the table with another smile. "Are you lovely ladies ready to order?" Chelsea placed the ball point of the, black inked, pen on the yellow note pad. She nodded cheerfully at every ending of the sentences and took off to place their orders after grabbing the menus.

Chelsea clipped the note with the orders in between her fingers before placing it on the metal counter in front of the kitchen. "Drake I have two more orders!" she exclaimed. A tall, slender, pale man that appeared to be in his late 40's took the slip from the counter. He tilted his head up and squinted eyelids, half covering his shiny blue eyes, trying to read the tiny print. He smiled when and nodded at Chelsea. He chuckled at the young girl as she frantically patted herself down looking for her pen. He shook his head and said, "Okay I'll get these in."

"Thank you," Chelsea replied a bit absent mindedly before turning on her heels.

"Oh and Chels," she looked over to him restlessly. Drake pointed a finger to his ear. She cocked her head to the side, scrunching her dark brows together, giving the cook a bewildered appearance. Chelsea raised her hand to her hearing organ at a snail's pace. She delicately touched her earlobe, her hand traveling upwards. Her eyes widened when a hard, thin, cylinder shape object touched her finger. She whipped the thing from behind her ear and stared at it feeling heat rush to her cheeks.

The feeling of humiliation spread like beaten eggs on a skillet. Chelsea gave a wary smile to Drake, who laughed whole heartedly, and squeaked her gratefulness. She held her head down, race walking out of the scene. She mentally kicked and cursed herself for her stupidity. She'd been only working here for a week and she was already making a fool of herself. "You idiot, you placed it behind your ear and you couldn't even – okay Chelsea calm down. You're getting too excited," she whispered to herself, "Just stay focused. You're almost done with work and you'll be off for a couple of days." The young woman was too busy contemplating about her embarrassment to notice another being heading her way. When Chelsea's head flung back from impact she gasped with revelation and clenched her eyes shut awaiting her fall on her hind.

To hands gripped her sooner than she could descend to the wooded flooring; one around her wrist and the other close to her tail bone. Chelsea eyes snapped open at the familiar smell of ginger from the person. She looked up to see a cocky smirk and a raised jet brown brow. Those were always the first things she noticed about Drew Stedman. His hazelnut eyes always glinted with something she couldn't exactly out into words.

"Are you okay Chelsea?" he asked amused.

Chelsea nodded. She eyed him expectantly. He hadn't let her go. "Thank you Drew and, you know, you can let go?" she demanded more than asked. Drew shook his head and held her tighter. "Mmm…I like this position. Don't you Cee-Cee?" Chelsea rolled her eyes at his teasing. She abruptly pushed him apart from her and muttered with a scoff, "Freakin' pervert."

Drew chuckled following the flustered 22 year old to the back; where all the soda dispensers were. When Chelsea grabbed a cup and filled it with a soft drink he also did the same. Chelsea gingerly glimpsed at him and met his eyes, glazing over with taunting merriment.

Drew was a considerably tall man, well to her view. Chelsea swore he had to be at least seven inches above her and she was 5'6. His skin was a light tan with his eyes a few notches darker. He was lean and you could see some muscle. Now, he didn't have the super hero build that every woman fantasized about and drooled over but he had some that were noticeable. His jet brown hair was cut in an 'Elvis Presley' kind of style. There was no doubt he was a good looking guy who was a just two years older than her. She was supposed to be attracted to him right? How come when she looked at him she never felt this time stopping experience everyone talked about? She saw the way girls would fawn over him whenever he would wink at them or just even walk in a ten meter radius. It was absolutely revolting when she watched though. You practically see the drool. But seriously, most girls would love to be even friends with Drew so why didn't she feel the need to always be around him or try to get closer? Was she really that far off the dating game?

Chelsea dismissed the topic immediately feeling insecurity and disconcert plague the pits of her chest and stomach. She couldn't focus on it anyway she had other things to worry about.

"You're pretty clumsy now that I think about it. I should probably hold your hand just in case you trip or something. Oh and your cup is going to overflow Cee-Cee."

She took the cup away from the dispenser barely managing to prevent the cup from over flowing. She watched as the other did the same. The young woman gave him an irked glare with a hand on her hip. Drew duplicated her movements and replaced his features with a goofy one. The corner of Chelsea's lips pulled to an ear splitting smile. No matter how hard she tried to stay mad at him she always ended up failing. She rolled her eyes and strolled out the back with-to her irritation- Drew following close behind her. She stopped and turned on her heel glowering at him, trying to keep her scowl plastered. "Why do you keep following me Drew? Don't you have your own table to attend to?"

"My table is in the section where yours is. Geez Cee-Cee, don't get your thong up your but," Drew huffed.

Chelsea's eyebrows scrunched in mild disbelief, her motherly habits tingling begging her to let them show themselves in all their appealing glory. She put a hand on her hip and gave him the look. "Excuse me mister, what did you just say to me? You know that wasn't very nice."

"Oh, I am so sorry mother." You could see the sarcasm drip from his lips.

All instincts were shut up and locked away in a tiny box that was thrown out into the sea. Did she always show her motherly side so visibly? "You are like the biggest jerk I've ever come across Drew. Stop calling me Cee-Cee too. I don't like that."

"I'm sorry Cee-Cee I'll stop," he dramatically put a hand to his chest with an expression of mock regret, "I wouldn't be the super awesome, totally cool, sexy beast, and perfectly perfect friend I am if I didn't stop." Drew walked off smirking feeling Chelsea's dead-pan stare.

Chelsea shook her head in amusement and headed to one of her assigned tables. Drew was so full of himself but she still loved him; as a friend. She'd only known him for a week and he'd already declared them as best friends forever. Even though she couldn't stand his relentless teasing and horrendous perverted jokes she couldn't help but feel the same way.

As she cleaned a nearby table Drew swiftly passed by her with a handful of cups and said in one breathe, "You can't wear a thong you're on your period. My bad." Chelsea straightened back and gave the direction Drew left in the most terrified expression she could conjure up.

How did he know?

Sonic fell flat on his back for what seemed the hundredth time that day. His fur was matted with sweat and dirt and his face had cuts and bruises in many places. He closed his eyes letting the dull ache in his backside pass like it always did. He got up wobbling from his sore legs, when the pain from his back was tolerable he bent over to stretch his spine.

The azure hedgehog looked over his shoulder and saw Silver kneeling in the grass, hands pressed against his temples and teeth gritted. _It was probably another headache. _

He looked to his right to see Shadow stomping and cursing at his shoes in fury. He winced at some of the colorful words he chose. _Violent much?_

From the day they had their big discussion, the trio has been trying to somehow in some way activate their powers. They haven't told their mother about it in fear of another break down so right now they've decided to keep it a secret until they figure out the right time to tell her. Chelsea being at work helps tremendously though. But so far they've haven't been making any progress.

Sonic has been trying to work on his speed and the spin dash attack considering those were his two trademark moves. Every day he would run around the backyard, pushing himself to go faster. He might've gotten faster, he wasn't-breaking the sound barrier-fast. When he thought he'd done enough running he would go on and try the other move. Online it said Sonic would roll in a ball and start spinning at incredible speeds or sometimes just jump forward, almost similar to doing a front flip, and spin into a spiraling ball. At first he thought it couldn't be so challenging and he would actually achieve this. Too bad the laws of physics wouldn't allow such an action. Sonic would curl up into a secure ball, which was easy for a hedgehog, and start rotating. This would only result in a lot of grunting and moving centimeters from his original spot. Basically he would look like he was trying to drag his bottom across the backyard. Sonic shook his head clearing the frustration circling his mind. He would try the second way and he would defiantly get it this time. The only problem is that he can't even do a front flip. He would jump forward and only land on his back with a loud 'thud'. Of course being Sonic the Hedgehog he never turned down a challenge just because of his stubbornness and partly to keep his ego lifted.

Silver would take a few pieces of, less than valuable, items from around the house and place them on the green grass before intensely staring at one of the objects. According to some websites, he was able to lift things with his mind and levitate himself. Silver would focus intently on the box of index cards. He shut his eyes in concentration and gritted his teeth in. His body would tremble from the amount of pressure on his brain and sweat would lace his metal colored fur matting it. Silver would picture the box of index cards until it distorted into an unknown object. A large headache suddenly slammed down unto him. Silver gripped his head and growled. He felt as if his skull were about to crack from the pounding from his brain. The hoary male fell to his knees cringing from the excruciating agony. He wouldn't think properly ever again.

Shadow the Hedgehog to the title of the Ultimate Lifeform with pride. Honestly he'd always thought of himself as the supreme out of the three. When the ebony male read he could travel at amazing speeds with his rocket shoes he scoffed. This seemed too easy. If only he knew. Shadow stood on leveled land and clicked his heels. He waited to be lifted from the ground but nothing happened. Raising an eyebrow he gave a death glare to the shoes and clicked them again. This ironically reminded him of _The Wizard of Oz_. The now proclaimed Ultimate Lifeform clicked his heels continuously, each one harder and harder till he felt as though his heels were being pierced by needles. The crimson streaked hedgehog's eye twitched and his hands were clenched into tight fists. Shadow took three cavernous breaths before considering a new tactic. He jogged around the base of the yard increasing his speed. When he was about to give up he suddenly didn't feel the ground beneath his feet. Shadow brusquely discontinued his running. The roaring of the red and white metallic shoes erased all the frustration. He felt like his heart was surrounded by a fuzzy warm blanket and his stomach was filled with gum drops and lollipops-okay maybe that was a little off – but nonetheless he felt very satisfied. Shadow sensed a smile threaten to tug the corners of his lips but settled for a smirk. The ebony hedgehog, wanting to move onward, took a step forward only to lose control and fall flat on his face; but it didn't stop there. The rockets kept increasing speed causing Shadow's face to be dragged roughly through the dirt. His muffled screams went unheard as he unknowingly headed straight towards the white, tall, picket fence. A loud thump later Shadow got up from the ground with a mouth full of dirt, multiple cuts and bruises and a glowing red face. The humiliation caused the 'Ultimate Lifeform' to go off the brig. He kicked the fence with force, stomped on the ground relentlessly and cursing at the shoes with curses man have never come to known.

Today was defiantly not a very productive day for the three hedgies.

"We should just give up."

"I agree. We haven't made any progress during the last seven days and these damn shoes are getting on my fu-"

"Hey! Watch your language Shadow. And I know we haven't been doing well but we can't give up."

"How do you even know we have powers? We might just be wasting our time."

"If we don't have these ridiculous powers, I promise on mother's life I will kill you faker."

"Oh come on guys, you can't give up that easily. We are the three heroes of the world after all."

"You're hopeless."

"More like useless."

"Love you too."

Sonic lied on the couch with his legs sore, his body exhausted and a, very, bruised ego. He had tried to stay positive throughout the whole ordeal but his, pessimistic viewing, brothers were crushing every bit of optimism he had left. He did acknowledge that today had not been the most successful day-like any other day has- but that didn't mean all hope was lost. When issues got tough it doesn't mean give up, you simply try harder.

The cerulean hedgehog put an arm across his forehead and sighed. "Shadow, Silver, I know we haven't made much progress-"

"We haven't made any advancement stupid hedgehog," The eldest sneered.

Sonic folded his lips in a thin line for a moment before continuing his, rudely, interrupted speech. He didn't want to say something he was going to be sorry for later. "Like I was saying, I know we haven't been doing all that great but it doesn't mean we should just give up-"

"But how do you know we're going to improve. This past week has only brought us pain, misery and failure. I don't know about you but I certainly don't feel like keeping this up for long. I feel like this whole thing has been gibberish." Silver winced a little from putting the ice pack on his head.

Sonic swung his legs over the edge of the leathery couch making a squeaky noise. His emerald eyes hardened as he casted glares at the other two. He's had enough with their attitude. All week he's been encouraging them. When they fell he was the one who told them they were doing great despite their failed attempts. When they came in after a day fruitless day, when their spirits seemed broken, he was always right by them. Even though they responded with cruel snorts or sadistic sneers he ignored them with a smile. But this was the last straw. The countless remarks he got seemed to hit him at once raising his anger to high degree. It hurt him that when he tried to make them feel better all he got in return, from his brothers, was a downgrade in his confidence. The idea of being someone special made him feel on top of the world; especially sharing the feeling with the hedgehogs he loved the most; that simply meant the world to him. Only, they didn't seem to want to take part in the feeling. Instead they pushed it away as if it were some rotten fruit that their mother forced them to eat. Sonic didn't understand why they were so sour towards him though, but he wasn't going to put up with it any longer.

"Fine if you two want to be the sore losers you are, you can do what you want. I don't care anymore anyway. I just don't want to hear anymore of your endless whining."

Shadow and Silver looked at each other before setting their ice packs down. The eldest looked at the azure hedgehog and blinked when he met his glare. His words clearly had frustration set in them but he couldn't help but notice the tinge of discouragement and remorse. Shadow scowl deepened when Sonic's ear lowered and he turned his back on them. Shadow wasn't one to give in to the younger one's temper tantrums; in fact, he wasn't going to become the comforting sap. That was their mother's job but, he did feel a hint of regret shoot through his chest. Teasing, taunting and lowering Sonic's self esteem did bring him some joy no matter how sadistic it seemed but he always thought he knew when he really meant it. The feeling that bubbled in his chest was a feeling he wasn't accustomed to. Shadow wasn't really too keen of it either. The only way he knew how to handle this was to be blunt and aggressive.

"Watch what you say faker. I don't appreciate being called such childish names after having being thoroughly humiliated. I don't deserve that" he growled.

"Shadow, you weren't the only one who's had their share of embarrassment. Stop acting like you're God. It's annoying."

Ruby irises widened with contained fury. "I wouldn't even think about taking the Lord's place you dense piece of wood. I never even said I was and I do not act as such." Shadow's nostrils flared and his jaw ached from the amount pressure he put on it. "I should wring you're neck right now. Consider your-self lucky to be alive."

Sonic stood up with his fists clenched. A growl erupted from his throat and he went into a battle stance; he didn't think he had one. He pointed a rage shaken finger at Shadow and shouted, "You see, right there. That's what I'm talking about. You think you're so superior. I don't know if it's just because you're older or you're taller but it's getting annoying. And stop with the constant death threats, everybody knows you can never follow through with them anyway."

"Sonic you say one more word and I will find a way to kill you, painfully, twice. I don't care what anybody says," Shadow dangerously whispered.

"Dammit Shadow there you go again. I'm tired of this. I don't care if you kill me at least I wouldn't have to suffer the feeling of knowing I'm related to you."

"The feelings mutual," the ebony hedgehog snarled taking an unknown battle stance of his own.

"Stop it you two. We're brothers and we're supposed to act like it."

Silver stood in the middle of the fuming hedgehogs. He looked at them with worried features. He was used to the black and blue hedgehogs' bickering and teasing but they never went as far getting physical. It was one of mother's strict rules but it was also something the three wouldn't allow themselves to come to. It was kind of a law they set in stone with their silent approvals. So when Sonic and Shadow fists came in front of them and they stepped towards each other Silver felt the need to interfere. Things had gotten too extreme.

"I think Shadow and I already settled the fact that we'd rather not."

"I don't care Sonic. You guys know you shouldn't fight; physically and verbally."

"Silver, stay out of this; this has nothing to do with you."

Said hedgehog put a hand on his hip and sternly said, "No Shadow. I will not just stand here and watch you two fight." He looked at both of them, none of the two backed out of their stance. Silver sighed and mentally prayed to God for his help. He knew he couldn't stop them alone. He prayed for strength until Chelsea got home. The metallic colored hedgehog's golden eyes widened when the two pairs of feet slowly walked closer towards each other. He pleaded for them to stop but was ignored. Silver gasped when Shadow pushed him out of the way. The two older brothers had each other by their wrists and pushed, trying to knock the other down. Silver quickly got as close as he could to the fighting hedgehogs and once again begged for them to stop.

"Please guys stop. What would mother think if she saw this?" he tried to make them feel guilty. When he was ignored he hastily racked his brain for any other thoughts to keep one of them from throwing the first punch. An idea struck his head. He would stall.

"What did you mean when you said we were 'sore losers' Sonic?"

Raging forest green eyes glanced at frantic golden before returning to fiery ruby ones. Sonic's fangs were revealed when he spoke, "Every single day you guys always complain and whine to me about how you get hurt and what we're doing is useless. Even though I find it annoying I still find a way to at least try to make you feel better. Instead of a thank you I'm called an idiot."

Silver blinked and felt culpability fill every space in his heart. Did he really hurt Sonic that much? "Sonic I-"

"I don't know if you realize this but it kind of hurts when your own brothers try to bring you down after you try to lift their spirits," Sonic seethed and pushed Shadow away from him. He stood with his hands clenched and his back turned. "I can finally be someone important, a hero to others, and I thought the best part of it was that I could share the experience with you guys. Apparently the hedgehogs I thought were my brothers don't care. All they do care about is the negatives. It hurts to be rejected."

"Why didn't you tell us this faker?" Shadow grunted. His anger still remained but it had lessened from Sonic's statement.

"I know this thing whole power thing is frustrating so I just kept my mouth shut."

"Sonic we didn't know you felt that way," Silver quietly said.

"Yeah well, now you do" the azure hedgehog huffed, not caring if they felt bad or not. It didn't matter to him anymore.

The three hedgehogs stood in the room with heavy tension. The silence wasn't awkward but it did hold a guilty tone to ease. Silver glued his eyes on Sonic's back with remorse. Shadow stared intently at a nearby wall finding it to be more interesting by the minute. He casted a few glances at the other two and grunted when he met Silver's eyes, darting his blood red orbs back to the wall. Everyone shifted their eyes on Sonic when he sighed. He looked back at them with tired eyes and climbed up the stairs without a word. Silver and Shadow's attention then flickered to the door.

Chelsea opened the door with great haste. The whole way, driving, her motherly senses-if you want to call it that-were tingling like crazy. Her scalp went all prickly and the pit of stomach had an uneasy feeling bubbling up. Something didn't feel right.

She locked the door behind her and gasped. Silver and Shadow stood there with dirt and grime all over them. They also appeared to have multiple cuts on their bodies. With her instincts taking over she hustled towards them first checking for any internal and permanently damaged wounds.

"My gosh, are you okay? What happened?" Chelsea lifted a silver furry arm and inspected it. She rubbed it feeling for any bumps or open injuries. When she couldn't find anything but dirt she checked his legs, stomach and other arm. Silver giggled, "Mom that tickles!" Chelsea grabbed his muzzle and only saw scratches with dried blood. Even though it was just a few minor cuts it still alarmed her. "Silvy how did you get these cuts?" Silver smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head casting frenzied glances to Shadow. The crimson streaked hedgehog could see the glances from his peripheral vision. He carefully shook his head, telling him silently not to tell her the truth.

"Well mom we were playing tag in the backyard and it kind of got rough." Shadow looked at Silver with disbelief. His ruby eyes narrowed. Silver shrugged and looked away with a huff. It was hard making up something on the spot.

Chelsea switched over to Shadow and went through his ebony pelt. She then said, "You guys have to stop rough housing. Now I have to worry about you guys getting hurt whenever I leave the house."

"We're sorry mother" the two said in unison.

"That's alright. Oh and Silvy why don't you hop in the shower and clean yourself. I'll take care of the wounds from there okay?"

Silver nodded and climbed upstairs while taking his gloves off. Shadow watched him travel up the carpeted steps before grunting in pain. A pinching feeling erupted from his right arm. "Ow mother, that hurt."

"I'm sorry Shady. It's just that because your fur is so dark I have to separate it to see the skin." Chelsea rolled her eyes when Shadow muttered, "Don't call me that." She continued on with her inspection finding a few lesions on his body. When she looked at his face she noticed that there were more serious wounds. There were gashes everywhere and dirt covering most of his face. Chelsea grabbed his cheeks in her hands earning a slight whine from the ebony male. Ignoring it she tilted and twisted his head in every direction.

Shadow groaned at the relentless tilting of his head. He stared at Chelsea, trying to give her the message he wasn't enjoying the inspection. When she didn't catch his eyes he decided to transfer his mental memo into words. "Mother I don't think this is necessary," he said pulling his head away from her. Chelsea snatched his head and stared at him with a look Shadow wouldn't be able to shake off for a couple of days. "Shadow." She only had to say his name and he swallowed his complaints immediately. It wasn't that Shadow was afraid of her; it's just that when she had this kind of power over him that made him comply with (most) of her demands. It was probably because she was his mother.

Shadow silently exhaled in relief when she dismissed him to the other shower. He shuddered at the memory of the look she gave him. Even he had to admit that look was frightening.

The sounds of the two showers were music to the 22 year olds ears. Chelsea climbed up the stairs looking for the azure hedgehog that wasn't downstairs. Sonic was part of the, supposed, 'tag' game they played so in conclusion he must've been covered in dirt and scratches also. Did they really expect her to believe they were playing tag? Let's get one thing straight; sure Silver would, Sonic, maybe, but Shadow…no…just no. Whatever they did they wanted to keep a secret but she would let it go, for now that is.

Chelsea opened Sonic's door in a way where her entrance couldn't be ignored. Her brows were scrunched together in confusion. There was the blue hedgehog, cross legged with earphones in, on his bed…sulking? The dark-skinned woman tilted her head to the side.

Sonic didn't sulk. He never did. That was Shadow's occupation. Sonic was always the one to find light in the darkest caves even though there wasn't any. When Sonic was upset in ten minutes, at the most, he would be back to his usual happy-go-lucky self; always having that silly grin on his muzzle. So why didn't he have that joyful glint in his eyes, why were his shoulders so slouched and why did his voice scare her when he mumbled, "Hi mom."

Chelsea sat on the edge of the bed causing Sonic, who stared at his phone, to move away from the rim. He put his head in his hand with a sigh. The music blasted in his ears and Chelsea could actually hear it. She didn't mind it because she always did that but she had to talk to him. She pulled an ear bud out. "Hello speedy. How was your day?"

The cobalt teenager kept his eyes on the cellular device. The 22 year old fixed her lips in a fine line. She tilted her head to where it was in the way of Sonic's view of the phone. Chelsea softly smiled at his, barely audible, chuckle. A small smile flashed on his muzzle and that relieved some of the pressure on her heart. At least he wasn't deeply in distress.

She averted her head back to its original position happy the crick in her neck was gone. She watched Sonic twirl with the unplugged headphone. The white plug intrigued both of them for a moment before Chelsea shook her head and concentrated on her current task. She put a hand on Sonic's twirling one and whispered, "Is something wrong sweetie?"

Sonic's eyes flickered from her chocolate irises to his phone; his expression a mixture of emotions. He shook his head. He didn't want to burden her with his problems. It wasn't something she needed to worry about.

"How was your day at work mom?" He tried altering the subject; he even flashed his trademark grin. Sonic dropped the act when he saw his mother's scowl. Instantly he stared back at the iPhone. He must've screwed up the smile.

Chelsea fully climbed on the bed and sat, Indian style, across from Sonic. His attempt at changing the topic was utterly pathetic, especially that smile, if you would even call that a smile. She placed her hands on his shoulder making him look up at her. "Speedy, tell me what's wrong." Sonic moved his eyes and head to the side with sadness. He looked as if he was having an internal battle and the side he was on was suffering defeat. Chelsea placed a hand on his cheek. The azure hedgehog looked up at her with pained eyes. The inner ends of the woman's dark brows lifted and she begged, "Please."

He couldn't win. There was no way to get around his mother. Unwillingly, Sonic confessed but he kept the part about their powers a secret. He couldn't tell her yet. Soon but, not now.

"I got mad at some things Shadow and Silver said to me and we kinda got into this fight. Well, Shadow and I mostly."

"What kind of things did they say?" The mention of a fight made Chelsea's heart race a bit.

Sonic shook his head. "Just the usual things," he scrunched his eyebrows together at the memory, "but for some reason it just got to me. Yeah I do some stupid stuff but I can only handle being called an idiot for so long." He chuckled lightly trying to ease some of the tension he felt from Chelsea. When her eyes burned with mild anger he looked back down to his lap and lowered his ears. Great, he made her upset. He really was an idiot sometimes.

Chelsea bit the inside of her cheek to calm herself before she ripped, the two hedgehogs in the shower, out and gave them spankings on their wet behinds. She seriously could care less how old they were. Just the usual? She didn't know they called him names. Sonic was so used to it that it became customary to him. She didn't tolerate name calling in her house. "What happened in this fight you say you got in with Shadow?" she urged, wanting to get all the details.

"You have to promise me you're not going to go ballistic mom."

This defiantly worried her to an all time high. Was this why they were all so beaten up? Chelsea felt her breathes hitch but she nodded. She was crossing her toes so she was good.

"We said we didn't want to be brothers anymore and Shadow and I kinda, maybe, got physical."

Chelsea through her hands in the air and scoffed. She put her forehead in her hands and dragged them down her face. She couldn't believe this. She's gone for four hours and the three hedgehogs are already beating each other up. She was beyond ballistic. There wasn't a word for how infuriated she was.

"How do you not expect me to be angry Sonic?" she shouted, "I can't even leave you guys alone without worrying about who's going to get their teeth punched out next. And to make it worse you guys said you didn't want to be brothers? I can't believe this!" Chelsea jumped off the bed and paced around the room with her hands dancing around her.

Sonic winced at his real name being used. He got up from the bed with his hands out and a weak smile, "But that's the thing mom, w-we didn't punch or anything-"

"Then what do you mean?"

"We just pushed each other and stuff. Silver just tried to break us up. Nobody got hurt."

"Then how do you explain the cuts on your back? Don't think I haven't noticed."

Sonic raised an eyebrow before looking behind him, as much as he could. He'd almost forgotten about his sore back. Wait how did she even see them? "How did you even-"

"I know and see everything Sonic. That's what a mother does."

A sudden eerie feeling crept, like a spider, on Sonic's spine. That couldn't be true. But what if it was? He shook his head trying to forget the creepy statement. Silently he was praying she hadn't seen the stuff on his phone. Honestly he accidentally flipped to the XXX rated page and he was just curious as to what it was.

"O-oh. Those were just from rough housing?" he looked at her sheepishly.

Chelsea sighed and shook her head. He wouldn't tell her either. She looked up and walked towards him. She stared through his forest green eyes intently before saying, "Turn around speedy." The cerulean hedgehog obeyed and turned his back to her. He flinched at the touch on his back. The stinging sensation wasn't something too comforting.

While Chelsea inspected him his eyes lightened at a sudden realization. "Hey mom, you called me speedy. You can't be that mad anymore."

Chelsea rolled her eyes. She took his shoulders and twisted him to face her. A smirk made its way upon her face but there were no signs of humor. Her next statement made Sonic's sudden hope crash from the heavens to the cold hard concrete ground.

"Honey I'm beyond pissed," she hazardously said just above whisper.

Before Sonic could answer she patted his back towards the door, which caused him to wince in pain. "Go take a shower baby. I'm sure Silver's finished with his. Oh and when you see your brothers tell them to meet me down stairs. You come with them too, okay?" Sonic nodded quickly hurrying out the door to fulfill his mission.

They were in so much trouble.

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Thank you for reading. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	11. She Doesn't Like Waking Up

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites. they mean a lot. I'm also sorry I haven't been keeping my usual pace recently. I went on a short vacation out of town but, I did manage to type a bit. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Oh, two more things; this is my longest chapter yet and, for future reference I use 'Welp' purposely. Thank you.

**Disclaimer: Sonic and anyone related to him belong to SEGA. Chelsea and Drew belong to me.**

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Chapter 11: She Doesn't Like Waking Up

It was a bright beautiful morning in town. The birds were chirping their wonderfully, high-pitched, irritating, dreadfully long song and the flowers that bloomed cause stingy bees to fight over which flower belonged to who. The sun was shining brightly as if the heavens opened; there was no cloud in sight. The wind blew a gentle breeze, lifting the petals, of the flowers, delicately upwards, making them appear ready to take flight. Yep….it was the, picture, perfect, anime, day today.

Unfortunately for the, supposed, perfect day Chelsea was an indoors person. She, by no means, cared for the suns warmth and rays. She was already darker than she needed to be and she had a perfectly well conditioned heater. The beautiful flowers that bloomed and gave off the lovely aroma of light, expensive, perfume never piqued her interest. Flowers attracted bees; bees get mad if they don't get their nectar. If Chelsea picked a flower the bee would get angry. The angry bee would sting her for revenge. Chelsea was allergic to bees. Her tongue would swell and her throat would close up and then she would die. So in a way flowers could be the end of her. Chelsea didn't feel like dying today. The wind did seem relaxing but it would only mess her hair up; not that it already looks like a tornado ran through but, you know. Before you mention the birds, think about the consequences of your actions.

The young woman sat comfortably in her bed with, her favorite, lavender sheets tucked into her neck. The soft, furry, fuchsia, pillow tickled the insides of her ear which made her a bit uncomfortable but a shift and a twist later resolved the issue. Burgundy curtains were shut tight to block out the morning sun and the untainted door remained closed to hold back any disruptive clamors and clatters. Chelsea let a content smile creep onto her lips as she snuggled into the warmth her blankets offered. Today, she defined, would be one of her lazy days. With that confirmed Chelsea, once again, let sleep drown her in its comforting arms.

Chelsea suddenly felt a small jab in her left shoulder. She groaned in annoyance and changed her position. Another harsh poke made itself known on her back. Chelsea altered herself into another, sleeping, pose but this time fluttering her eyelids open a bit. She caught a glimpse of silver and shut her eyes again. The dark-skinned woman tried the act she did so many times to her mother; pretend to still be asleep.

"I know you're awake. Your eyelids are twitching."

Stupid eyelids betray me again.

That was usually how it ended with her mother also, except she would be dragged out of her room by now. Chelsea brows got heavier and her eyes snapped open. She sent a glare towards Silver's finger that was, out of nowhere, on her shoulder. When Chelsea was awakened by someone other than herself, she found herself strongly disliking the person for the rest of the day.

The 22 year old propped herself on her elbows before sitting up fully and leaning on the head board of the bed. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of the sleep, and sighed heavily.

"Hello mom."

Silver's voice bothered her. He woke her up and she didn't appreciate it one bit but for his sake she would try to ignore the aggravating feeling she had. "Silver why did you wake me up," she groggily said, skipping the formalities, "It's 8:47 in the morning."

Silver's amused expression confused her. What was so funny? With a chuckle he said, "Mom, it's 12:32 in the afternoon."

What?

Chelsea quickly searched for her phone. Once she found the iPhone, pushed, harder than she needed to, the home button. Her eyes widened when she read the 32 font sized, veranda, numbers. It was it was indeed 12:32 p.m. Her head spun towards Silver who stared at her with a smile and a raised eyebrow. Chelsea looked back to the phone and then back to her son. She shook her head, pointing a finger at the cursed phone. "I-I promise you it was 8:47 just a minute ago Silvy," she stuttered. Silver just stared at her with awe.

"What?"

"I never thought someone could be so disoriented."

Chelsea huffed at the statement and crossed her arms. She puffed out her lower lip. "Why did you even wake me up," she muttered angrily. The furry hedgehog laughed at her. For a mother of three she sometimes acted 12. Silver shook his head and said, "It's too late in the day to be sleeping. You have to get up." Chelsea gave him the most horrific look he'd ever witnessed in his life. It was an expression mixed up of anger, grief, confusion and a bunch of other things he didn't recognize but, it was there. The corners of her lips pointed downwards and her brows seemed to point up and down. He didn't know how that was possible but he was looking at the demonstration.

Silver shifted uncomfortably in his spot. This felt worse than the time he dropped all the phones they owned in the pool. He shivered at the memory. He would forever curse his clumsiness. His bottom still hurt too. Silver soon found himself tersely brought into reality by his mother's voice.

"You mean to tell me you woke me up because you didn't think it was appropriate to let me sleep in?" Chelsea's features were straight and Silver was thankful for that but, an uncanny sensation crawled up his spine at the calmness of her voice. He responded with the first thing that popped into his mind.

"Yeah."

"What kind of sick, twisted, heartless, hedgie are you?"

Her abrasive question made Silver jump back in surprise. What the heck did she mean? Frightened a bit he started, "M-mom-"

"Silver I know you and you wouldn't do this alone. Who put you up to this? Was it my mother? She always loved torturing me." Chelsea scrunched her face together. She gripped the sheets and stared Silver down. The poor hedgehog could literally see his life flash behind his eyes.

Silver put his hands in front of him in defense. "N-no mom, Sonic and Shadow just told me to-"

Chelsea's eyes expanded and had a crazed look in them that made Silver shiver. She pointed her index finger at him which caused him to flinch. For a moment he thought a laser was going to shoot out of her finger.

"So they were the ones that set you in this death trap. SONIC AND SHADOW GET YOUR BUTTS UP HERE!"

Silver repeatedly shushed her and even put a on her mouth. Once she quitted down he released her and gave her a puzzled look.

"Mom, are you taking your medicine and what's this thing about a death trap? We just want you out of bed."

"Yes I am taking my medicine," Chelsea stated in an 'as-a-matter-a-fact' tone, "and don't you know if I don't wake up by myself, the person who woke me up will be hated for the day. I'm a very mean person so it's basically a suicide mission."

No, she hasn't been taking her pills.

The metallic colored male just stared. There was nothing he could say. There was nothing to say. He frowned when the other, roughly, pulled the covers over herself. Silver put his hands on his hips and scowled. "What do you think you're doing mother?"

"I'm going back to sleep."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No. You're. Not."

"Yes. I. Am."

"Mother, get out of the bed."

"You're not the boss of me."

"Chelsea, you have one last chance. Get out of the bed now."

"Make me."

Silver wasn't the type who liked being stern but like his own mother taught him; 'If it benefits the other in some way, be as firm as you need to be'. Oh the irony of this situation. Silver crept over to the end of the bed and grabbed Chelsea's ankles.

A loud screeched pierced through Sonic and Shadow's sensitive ears. Shadow dropped his glass of water causing the ice cubes, water and the shattered pieces of glass to slide all over the kitchen floor. "The hell," he cursed. Sonic tripped over the beginning of the rug. He fell flat on his face and when he tried to get up the splintering sound of the glass breaking only produced a new bump on his head from hitting the middle of his head on the table. The azure hedgehog rubbed his head and shouted in pain from the stinging.

Shadow ran into the living room to see Sonic sitting down with one eye squeezed closed. Ignoring his expression of agony the crimson striped hedgehog exclaimed, "What was that noise?"

"I don't know but I heard it come from upstairs," Sonic groaned. He looked again at his elder brother and immediately stood up. By the time he was at the start of the steps Shadow was already halfway up. They busted through the door to Chelsea's bedroom and stood in shock; their eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. In front of them was something they never, in their lives, would've thought they would be an eyewitness to.

Silver the Hedgehog had his hands tightly secured around their mother's ankles. He pulled them away from the bed in attempt to separate Chelsea from it. His feet were in front of him and his upper body was leaning back. Chelsea gripped the rim of the mattress with all her morning strength. Her body was extended to full length and she looked like she was going to be ripped in half. Both were refusing to let the other win. They were sweaty, panting and their teeth were clenched. This was defiantly a test of arm strength though.

"Mom! You have to get out of bed," Silver strained.

"Noooo," Chelsea whined.

Sonic and Shadow blinked before making their presence known.

"Silver what are doing?" Sonic shouted.

Said hedgehog looked over to them. He sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness you guys are here. You need to help me get her out of bed."

"Since when did this turn into the Revolutionary War?" the ebony hedgehog said but there were no traces of wittiness in his voice.

"Just help me pull her."

Shadow and Sonic followed orders and scrambled to help the silver male. Sonic secured his arms around Silver's chest and Shadow did the same to his. They began pulling.

Chelsea felt the extra force in her ankles. She took a daring glance over her shoulder and gaped in disbelief. Sonic and Shadow were helping Silver disconnect her from the mattress. It was three against one. Did they hate her or something?

"Hey that's not fair! It's three against one. That's cheating," she yelled gripping the mattress tighter. Chelsea felt her fingers sweat from all the effort. Slowly her fingers were slipping from the bed. She tried, desperately, to keep her grasp on the edge but the three hedgehogs were too strong. Unwillingly she let go with a gasp. Chelsea felt body crash into the three hedgies. All four of them catapulted out of the room, into the hallway, and landed with a loud 'thud'.

Chelsea groaned in pain in slight pain. Even though the crash into Silver gave her a throbbing headache, her landing wasn't as rough as she anticipated. In fact it was quite soft and furry. She tried to get up but realized she wasn't touching the ground. Under her were three hedgehogs piled up onto one another with her as the cherry on top. That would explain the gentleness of her disembark. "Thank you for covering my fall. It was quite comfy," she smugly said.

Silver, who lay front side up, smiled and said, "No problem. Mine was too." The previous ordeal fled his mind and he was oblivious to the tone of his mother's voice. He was just happy to help all the time.

"So was mine," Sonic who also lied front side up.

"I hate all of you," Shadow grumbled. He was at the bottom of the pile lying face first on the ground. The carpeted floor felt like concrete to him at the time. The ebony hedgehog felt as though his body was smashed and forcefully flattened; there weights didn't help either. This didn't sit well with his stomach and he tried with all his might to keep the bile down, where it belonged.

Chelsea sent a warning glare at the ruby eyed male for a second before grasping the fact he couldn't exactly see. She would only have to get off and scold him then. The pile wasn't that high off the floor so, she jumped off the three landing on her feet but she instantly fell on her bottom cringing in pain. She forgot she didn't have the strongest bones. She felt her ankles crack and a stinging pain shot through them. Chelsea moved them in circles contemplating if they were broken or not. She was able to move them without too much pain so they were probably just sore.

As she sat there, one by one, Sonic and Silver rolled off each other leaving Shadow to turn on his back side curling up into a loose ball; as someone would do when hurting. Chelsea massaged her ankles for a little while, letting the pain fade away. Silver rubbed his chest in soreness as Sonic did too.

The two stood up after some time and helped Chelsea up. The young woman was about ready to give them a scolding when she noticed one hedgie was missing. She looked on the ground and saw the missing hedgehog, clenching his eyes and teeth, clutching his stomach. All previous thoughts evaporated as Chelsea thoughtlessly darted towards Shadow; Sonic and Silver close behind her. She knelt beside the cringing furry and asked worriedly, "Shady are you alright?"

Shadow shook his head painfully. Their weight really put an overwhelming pressure on his abdomen. More than it could handle. The dull pain wasn't the problem. It was the consistency of it. It wasn't getting any better and he feared if he were to move it would worsen. "M-my st-stomach hurts," he moaned in mild agony. He felt Chelsea's hands remove his arms away from his tummy and rub it softly. He expected the pain to go away but it stayed. He pushed the back of his head against the carpet and groaned through his teeth, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow."

Chelsea scrunched her nose up in confusion. Why was he in so much pain? The fall couldn't have been that hard. In anime and cartoon shows the person on the bottom always got hurt the most but they were usually fine after.

Well this wasn't a show. This was real life. She had to keep reminding herself.

The mother of three felt a stabbing pain in her chest. One of her children was suffering and she couldn't do anything about it. Chelsea put a hand on Shadow's forehead and stroked it with her thumb. "Can you sit up sweetie?"

The onyx hedgehog squinted through his eyelids. He saw his mother looking at him with an intensified look on her face. She was probably trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He glanced over at Silver and saw unmistakable worry and compunction plastering his features. Shadow couldn't help but wonder why he seemed so regretful. He dismissed the thought and looked over to Sonic. He also had worry in his expression. To the ebony male this was utterly humiliating. Here he was lying on his back moaning and groaning like a five year old. He was the Ultimate Lifeform for crying out cloud. He needed to act like it. Nothing in this universe could stop him except God himself. He wasn't going to add a stomach ache to the list.

With determination set in the his mind he nodded and took a hold of Chelsea's forearm. He cautiously sat up praying the pain in his stomach wouldn't increase. Shadow felt his mother's hand on the back of his neck, helping him sit up. Once he was fully straight he felt the pain shift into his upper abdomen; a weird shift in gravities part but some of the pain eased for a bit. Shadow then made an effort to stand up. "Shady don't push yourself you might make the pain worse." He rolled his eyes mentally and shook his head, "It's alright I'm a little better. It seems the pain has moved here." He rubbed the place below the end of his chest hair.

Chelsea smoothed her hand over Shadow's and gave a worried look. She remembered her last stomach ache. It was horrible. The pain was located in the same area Shadow was rubbing and she thought she would die. The throbbing and stinging sensation was enough to make her cry and beg for it to stop. She spent five hours dealing with the pain and when she called her brother she was almost taken to the hospital until she released the contents of her stomach in the toilet. Pain in the lower abdomen was easier to deal with.

"Shady that's not good. Why don't you go lay down for now and I'll go get you pills for the pain."

"Ok, I'll lie down but, what do you mean 'that's not good'. The pain is a little easier to deal with now."

"Just go lie down."

Shadow, for a moment, bestowed upon his mother a befuddled face before abiding her orders. With a push on his back he paced towards his bed. After getting in it a blush of light red appeared on his muzzle as Chelsea tucked him in. He mumbled curses while Sonic and Silver snickered. Shadow was lightly thumped on his forehead. "Shadow, watch your language." He grunted and crossed his arms or at least tried to under the heavy comforters. He was humiliated, crushed, in pain and thumped all in one day. Today was just not his day.

"I'm going to get the Tylenol. I'll be right back Shady."

The reminder of the pain brought back the ache in his abdomen back to his mind. He lightly held his tummy and nodded, stopping his little pout. Chelsea ran downstairs and started looking for the tiny bottle.

"I'm sorry Shadow."

Said hedgehog turned his head to the right to identify the voice. Silver stepped up twiddling his index fingers. An eyebrow raised on the dark hedgehog's face. What in volleyballs name could he be talking about? "What do you have to be sorry for Silver?"

"Your stomach pains. If I would've just gotten mom out of bed by myself none of this would've happened. It's mostly my fault," Silver mumbled lowering his head. A tiny blush of shame was shown on his cheeks.

A hearty chuckle caused the remorseful hedgehog to snap his head up.

"You are such an idiot. You don't need to be sorry for that."

"B-but-"

"Not another word."

"Shad-"

"Zip!"

"Well fine!" Silver huffed, "I'm going to help mom." He stormed out of the room with a heartwarming smile.

A smirk appeared on Shadows muzzle. It quickly wiped off as the pain in his stomach worsened. He groaned and put pressure on the area in hopes for it helping to reduce the agony. He was starting to understand Chelsea's

Sonic looked at his older brother and cocked his head to the side. His brows furrowed together. Ever since their fight they haven't been talking to each other often; only when necessary. He's also noticed Shadow has been trying to avoid him, making all possibilities of trying to make up with him as slim as a tooth pick. Would trying to comfort him be too much and just annoy the ebony hedgehog?

Another pained moan escaped Shadow's lips as he twisted in misery. The cerulean hedgehog's ears lowered to some extent. See the other in pain wasn't something pleasurable. When the onyx male clenched his teeth holding back a small scream all thoughts erased from Sonic's mind and he went over to the eldest.

Shadow looked, through squinted eyes, at the azure hedgehog. He snapped them shut and groaned at the incredible pain shooting through his upper abdomen. Sonic gazed at him feeling feeble and weak.

"H-hey Shads, do you want me to call mom and ask about the Tylenol?" he stuttered. This was only statement he found appropriate from all the others in his mind.

The moaning hedgehog nodded, ever so slightly, in all the torment he was in. The beryl furred male nodded a bit too furiously and took a step back. He observed Shadow a bit longer before deviating from the scene. He then collided with, an 'oomph', into his mother. Sonic took another step back and almost fell. "I-I-oh-umm-I just-uh-ah-Sh-shads wanted to know about the-oh you have it!" His emerald eyes darted from side to side and his breathing suddenly turned eccentric. Sonic didn't understand why he was so nervous all of a sudden. He didn't even know if that was the right word to use. He didn't feel nervous. Then what was it?

Chelsea cocked her head the side while rubbing the area above her chest.

_What's up with him?_

Sonic was acting a bit…bizarre?

An anguished grouse interrupted her thoughts. Chelsea's head snapped towards the bed to see Shadow twist in pain. He flipped over onto his stomach and clenched it with all his might. The young woman ran over to him put a hand on his back and rubbed it. "Silver may I have the glass of water please?" she demanded more than asked. The youngest hedgie scurried over and handed the glass contained liquid to her. Chelsea muttered a thank you. Two tiny orange tablets were in the palm of her hand. She moved her metacarpus towards the crimson eyed furry.

"Shady take this."

Shadow looked warily at the pills and then tossed himself on his back, tilting his head. "No, I-I don't…want it. I can't…have…it. My-my stomach hu-hurts...momma"

She found her heart breaking; he only called her that when he was in enormous amounts of some type of pain. "I know baby but, that's why you have to take the pills." Without waiting for a reply Chelsea softly held his head making him sit up to his displeasure. "Open up for me," she whispered. Shadow obeyed weakly. The dark-skinned mother placed the tablets on his tongue, she then jerked her hand back when Shadow, impetuously, clamped his teeth shut. He cried out through clenched teeth. The feeling of a thousand bulls ramming into his upper abdomen put the young hedgehog in misery.

Chelsea took the cup, in her other hand, and put the tip on his bottom lip. She waited patiently for him to take a sip. When he didn't she urged him. "Honey I know you don't want to eat or drink anything but you have to take the medicine. It's the only other thing I can do for you and it might make you feel better. Please take it. For me?" She, herself, knew there was only a slim chance of this happening but she was praying the pain would fade away from him soon. And she hoped with all her being the drowsy affect the pill claimed it had worked.

The fact that Shadow opened his mouth and drank some of the water made her shoulders less heavy. Chelsea put the cup down, on a nearby desk. She then rubbed his ears, tenderly, in hopes of comforting him. "Thank you Shady."

Shadow tried to show his gratitude for her caring nature but all that came out was another pained shout. He felt his back arch and he gripped the sheets. This was the definition of pain; what he was going through. His stomach never felt this bad before. Never had he thought it could feel this horrible. He tried to concentrate on the rubbing of his ears. He bit back another horrid moan and found his attention on the pain decreasing but only by a half of a degree. The soft massaging caused him to reduce too harsh breathing and the clutching of his stomach. His ear twitched as his mother scratched behind and the agony, again, decreased.

Chelsea gently smiled. She was happy this was working. He might be the acclaimed, bad-a, 'Ultimate Lifeform' but, he was still a hedgehog. When she started to release his ear's she was surprised when a barely audible whine came from him. Chelsea continued rubbing the furry things sticking out of his head; she turned to look over her shoulder. Sonic and Silver stood there, awkwardly, observing the scene. She giggled and said, "Why don't you guys watch T.V. or something? I'm taking away your punishment for a little while."

Sonic and Silver found their focus now on their mother. They looked at each other before nodding at her. As Silver left Sonic took one last look at the two and then went his way silently.

The young mother stood there with her arms stretched out and her thumbs working. Her arms were aching and she was getting tired of just standing. Chelsea wondered if climbing in the bed with Shadow would make him upset.

"Shady, do you mind if I lay next to you? My arms are getting tired and I-"

"Please."

His whisper was all she needed for approval. Cautiously, so she wouldn't stir more pain in his tummy, she lied next to him still trying to maneuver in way to still rub his Shadow's ears. As she huffed in annoyance, in her uncomfortable position, she lightly gasped when the ebony hedgehog put his head on her chest. A warm blanket seemed to wrap around her heart at the memories of the past; when they used to be smaller than her forearm and cuddle up next to her every night.

"Good night mother."

She blinked. She was too much in her daydream to figure out if what she just heard was in her mind or it was real. She then looked at the clock. It was 1:27. What was he talking about? Chelsea looked down too see Shadow curled up against her loosely holding her waist. His breathing was calm, a big difference from the one a few minutes ago, and his features were peaceful. A gigantic smile found its way to her face and her heart swelled. Not only did the pills work but this was almost exact replica of what the younger Shadow did just before he slept.

"Good night baby."

Sonic flipped through the channels with a bored expression and his head in his hand. This was way too boring. There was absolutely no way he was going to stay here and do nothing all day. Silver was reading a book and it looked like he was interested in it too. How do people read those things anyway? At least one good thing came out of today. A little secret of his he wouldn't share until the moment was right. An evil smile creped onto his face; one that would make Shadow run for his money.

He stood up and sighed. This problem between him and Shadow was getting under his skin. It was like a little thought that he kept in the back of his mind but it always found a way to show its ugly little head. Sonic personally didn't mean anything he said to him that day but a small bell kept ringing in his chest. What if Shadow did? The azure male was just sore, tired and upset. He didn't mean to blow up like that. Silver seemed to have forgiven him but why didn't Shadow? He, of all people, should know he doesn't pay attention to half of the stuff that comes out of his mouth.

Sonic sighed as he got up from the couch. He opened nearby curtains and the warmth of the sun slammed on his face. A bright smile protruded his muzzle. It was a perfect day today. Why was he inside when he could be out there enjoying what Mother Nature had to offer?

_It's because you're different._

Oh yeah. He was a cartoon character. Something made up. He wasn't supposed to be real. Although he was a hero the idea of something popping out of the television wouldn't be so easily accepted. But the thing that plagued him was Chelsea was different to. She was defiantly darker than most people he saw on T.V. so why did she get to go outside? There were some people like her but not many compared to the others.

_She's real. _

But he was real too. He might be entertainment for little kids but he was here, on Earth. He could touch things, he could be touched, and he could be seen. He had eyes, a nose, a mouth, two hands, and two feet.

_She's human._

He acted human. He had feelings like everyone else. He was nice too. Just because he had fur didn't mean he was any different.

_She has skin._

He had skin underneath his fur. Didn't that count as something? And didn't the Bible say to not mistreat people who were foreigners because we were foreigners in Egypt? They can't treat him any different. They just couldn't.

_She isn't an animal._

Sonic closed the curtains roughly. He didn't want to think about this anymore. He would do something he would regret later if he did. The navy blue male plopped himself back down on the couch. He snatched the remote away from the table and went back to channel surfing.

Channel by channel, all he could see were humans. There were light, dark in the middle even but not once were there animals like him. He knew he was a character but there had to be other animals like him, like his brothers. Sonic clicked the remote several times before stopping on a certain channel. His eyes widened as an armadillo was caught in a trap. Sonic felt a deep anger in the pit of his chest when two humans shot it and began stripping away its shell. He turned the television set off before they started skinning it.

He was different than other animals; him and his brothers.

Sonic lay on his back with an arm on his forehead. This was causing him a humungous headache. First it was the Shadow dilemma and now it was going outside. With all problems aside, he craved to go out. The only connection with the outside world was their backyard and that was only because it was fenced. He couldn't deal with looking at the same scenery forever. He was sure he would go insane.

He wanted to go outside. He didn't care.

But he couldn't. His mom asked him not too and although he wasn't known for following directions he had to follow this one rule. He couldn't go outside without his mother knowing. It would break her heart and his at the sight of her face when she found out he disobeyed.

Why was his life so complicated? He was 15 for crying out loud.

The sounds of vomiting made the dark-skinned woman wince. Chelsea sat down against the bathroom door with an ear against it. She was startled when Shadow woke up so suddenly and ran out the door. Of course she ran after him only to have the door shut in her face. When she tried to open it, it was locked so, all she could do know was wait and speak words of comfort to the ebony hedgehog.

"Shady do you think you can let me in?" Chelsea asked in her most worried voice. She thought, maybe, making him feel bad would grant her entry.

"N-no…y-you can't…see thi-this-"

Chelsea sighed as she heard the water's sound from the bile hitting it. At least she was able to rid him of the pain of the stomach ache for a little while but, Shadow's heavy breathing was not something she enjoyed hearing. He could barely speak before he regurgitated everything that was left in his stomach. She put a hand on the door and continued her coos.

The toilet flushed three times in the ten minute period. The young woman gasped when she heard a click. She rushed up to her feet and hastily opened the bathroom door.

The aroma of vomit filled her nostrils the moment she entered. Chelsea never was good with anything that had to deal with puking but it was for one of her hedgies so, she swallowed the food caught in the middle of her throat. She walked over to Shadow who was bent over the sink spitting out water. Saliva strung from his bottom lip and before he could make a move Chelsea wiped it off.

Shadow didn't dare to look up at her. He was already ashamed of what he'd done. If he did look at his mother the blush on his cheeks would only darken.

The crimson splashed hedgehog stiffened when a hand rubbed his back.

"Do you feel better now honey?"

Shadow visibly relaxed. He watched her rinse her hands. The feeling of, liquidly, chunks of food in his mouth disgusted him so much that he didn't even have the sense to think about his abdomen. As he concentrated on his stomach a smile almost appeared on his muzzle.

"Yes. I feel much better," he breathed out. Dry heaving fatigued him.

Chelsea giggled. The way Shadow responded was, as if, he had just won World War I. She picked up a red and white tooth brush and motioned for him to brush his teeth. Afterwards they walked out of the bathroom-after Chelsea disinfected the toilet- and down the stairs.

"Mother can I, perhaps, go back to bed. I'm a bit tired." Shadow almost tripped over the air. He almost choked when he received a hard pat on his back.

"Of course not Shady, you only need to eat. And besides, if I don't get to sleep no one can," Chelsea laughed.

The eldest hedgehog growled. After all this time she was still mad about getting out of bed. Shadow moved from his mother's touch and walked as fast as could, trying not to trip. He sent a glare towards her but Chelsea only chuckled at him.

"Hey Shads, you okay buddy?"

"Shadow's here?"

Sonic and Silver trampled each other trying to get to the growling hedgehog. Shadow put a hand on his forehead and walked on ignoring them. "I don't have the patience for them," he mumbled to himself. The two hedgehogs looked after him with confusion.

"Why's he so grumpy?" Silver asked to no one in particular. So when he got answer the two were startled.

"I wouldn't let him sleep a little more. Yeah, he's a bit upset," Chelsea said walking past them also. Silver stared at them before turning his back and exclaiming, "Welp, it's good to have everything back to normal again. I'm going to go read my book. I have to find out if George proposes to Hanna." He skipped back to the couch with a grin on his face, going back to his usual naïve, optimistic, self.

Sonic glanced towards the metallic colored hedgehog and then to the kitchen. His feet took steps and he found himself in the dining room. He blinked and watched as Shadow took tiny sips from the steaming spoon filled with brown broth.

Shadow's fur on the back of his neck stood up for the 15th time. He felt eyes bore in to the side of his head. Was Chelsea going to keep staring at him while he ate? It was already bad enough he had to eat-he found the smell of anything food related revolting- now he had to be watched. What was this, upset Shadow day? Well he certainly didn't get the memo.

The angry male dropped the spoon in the bowl and looked up with a menacing glare. He was surprised when he saw blue instead of brown. Why was Sonic staring at him? Although Chelsea and Sonic were two different beings he still held his glare but added more irritation to it.

"What do you want faker?"

Said hedgehog inwardly flinched. Why was the way Shadow said 'faker' so hurtful? He'd always called him that ever since the first time they laid eyes on each other but, he couldn't shake off the way he said it now. It was like he was spitting out something bitter. Some type of abhorrence. But Shadow wasn't that upset with him, was he? Maybe he was worrying about their fight too much. He was just interpreting things far beyond their meaning.

"Nothin' much faker. Did you have fun puking?" Teasing seemed to be the most appropriate way to cover the uneasiness he felt.

"Get away faker. I don't have the time of day to deal with you right now." Shadow picked up his spoon and continued drinking trying not to gag.

An idea popped in the azure hedgehog's head. A mischievous simper showed itself on Sonic's muzzle. He rummaged through his quills and pulled out a picture. "Oh really," he beleaguered, "would you find me interesting if I said I'm going to post this on the Internet?"

The mention of a picture made Shadow's curiosity get the best of him. He looked up with mild interest. Suddenly his eyes bulged out. There in Sonic's hand was a photo of the Ultimate Lifeform cuddled up against Chelsea; both were sleeping with light blushes. He had his arms around her like a teddy bear, his legs were wrapped in his mother's and his head was under her hand and on her bosom. Shadow's sight was immediately blinded by red.

Sonic only had a second to dodge the onyx male's attack. He then was knocked to the ground with Shadow above him. Before he could throw a punch Sonic, got up, put a hand on Shadows face and extended his arm, with the picture, out. He waved the picture in the air taunting him. "Oh so now you notice me huh Shads."

"Faker if you don't give me that picture I swear you won't live to see tomorrow."

"You're not supposed to swear. It's not good Shads." Sonic shook his head in mock disappointment.

"Shut up!"

"Oooh you said 'shut up'. I'm telling mom."

"You'll be dead before you even step one foot towards her. Now, give me that picture faker."

"Tell me why you're mad at me first."

"I'm mad because you won't give me the freakin' picture."

"No, tell me why you've been avoiding me."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me Shads."

Shadow rested from his fruitless attempts of snatching away the picture. He glared at his cerulean brother before giving him space. He knew what he was talking about from the first question but he didn't feel the need to explain himself to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on Shadow," Sonic exclaimed throwing his hands in the air, "you're not talking to me anymore, you're never even teasing me and it seems like you don't even want to be in the same room as me. I mean what's up with that? What did I do?"

"I think it would be helpful if you started from and, I quote 'I don't care if you kill me at least I wouldn't have to suffer the feeling of knowing I'm related to you.' I think this should explain more than enough faker." Shadow crossed his arms and glared at the other.

"I was mad Shadow. You even agreed with me," he pointed an accusing finger at him, "You of all people should know I don't comprehend half of the stuff that comes out of my mouth. And I didn't even mean it-"

"You sure made it seem like you did."

Sonic moved his head back slightly and his brows scrunched up. "Did I hurt your feelings that much Shadow?" The corner of his lip suddenly twitched.

The dark hedgehog scoffed. "Of course not you imbecile. You couldn't possibly hurt my feelings." A precipitous feeling of blunt insecurity rose in his stomach making him feel…queasy?

_Cursed stomach._

A hand placed itself on his right shoulder. On impulse he jerked his shoulder but the hand didn't move. Shadow's ruby eyes pinned themselves on the navy furry in front of him. They scanned him up and down and his lips curled in a snarl. Warningly he murmured, "Get your han-"

"I'm sorry."

This caught him off guard tremendously. To make sure his hearing didn't deceive him he rudely barked, "What?"

The hand lowered. "I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you in any way. It stupid and really low for me to say that and I promise you I didn't mean it. I wouldn't want to live without my brothers by my side. All of them." Sonic then grinned. "Besides, what's a super hero without all of their sidekicks?"

Shadow sweat dropped and mentally blew himself into the stratosphere. Regardless, he couldn't help but give in to Sonic's, so called, apology. He looked sincere enough and sounded it too. With a defeated sigh he mumbled, "Your 'apology' is accepted but don't expect me to give in so easily next time blue hedgehog."

The two shook hands.

"I won't Shads." The azure hedgehog skipped off towards the couch but he suddenly stopped. He turned around to see Shadow placing himself back in the chair.

"Oh and Shadow?"

The red streaked male looked at him annoyed. A demented look glinted in Sonic's forest green eyes.

With a wink he held a flimsy piece of paper in between his index and middle finger.

"I'll make sure to put your name in the credits."

He soon made a run for it, laughing, with Shadow hot on his tail.

"COME BACK HERE YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING, BONEHEADED DUNCE!"

* * *

Thank You for reading. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	12. Happy Independence Day

**Author's Note: Happy...umm...belated birthday America. **_Yeah so...I'm super sorry this was five days late. I tried to type it on time but it just wasn't possible. Sorry again but, I hope this makes up for it. Just a warning, I'm sorry the ending seems kind of rushed. Thank you._

**Disclaimer: Sonic and anyone related to him belong to SEGA. Chelsea and Drew belong to me.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Happy Independence Day

"Mommy can we go see fireworks today?"

"Of course we can. Everyone gets to see the fireworks today."

"Why mommy?"

"Because it's the fourth of July sweetie."

A furry, uncolored, ear twitched forward. It listened carefully at the conversation taking place outside of the house. Silver pressed his ear on the glass barrier, which separated him from the woman and her child, trying to listen to their conversation. The mention of fireworks caught the young hedgehog's attention.

"Where will we go to see the fireworks?"

"We'll have to decide later Ryland. Now come along, we have to get to the house before your father starts to worry."

"Yes mommy."

There were a few more phrases exchanged between the two but Silver couldn't decipher it because of the volume. He closed the curtains and fell back into his bed. What was so special about today? He didn't feel any different and nothing was happening outside so why was there a need for fireworks? Did everyone see fireworks today? His thoughts pondered off into infinity and beyond. He wondered as to what the fireworks would be like in person. He knew what they were but he only saw them on T.V. nothing more. Silver turned on his side and hugged a white stuffed rabbit he 'borrowed' from Chelsea. He sighed and started to play with the long, floppy, ears. He knew he could never see them in person anyway. He couldn't go outside because of who he was. And even if he asked Chelsea would say no. It didn't help that a certain blue hedgehog blew up at her about going outside either.

A lugubrious smile found its way to his features. Silver knew she meant well and she didn't allow them outside just because she didn't want anything happening to them but, he couldn't help but feel miserable. There were times where he wished he could be human, just for a day, so he could see whatever was out there. He didn't want to spend his whole life learning stuff from just his mom or T.V. he wanted to go to school, he wanted to go out to the mall, he'd even be happy with being limited to just walking around in the neighborhood.

It just wasn't fair.

Silver groaned. Know he had the sudden urge to bug his mother to go out and see the fireworks. He hated this feeling. The gray furry tended to get a bit of an attitude when he was denied something; which he knew was going to happen anyway. He didn't know if it was just teenage hormones or just plain puberty but he hated it. Personally, he loathed being callous towards others. It made him feel…dirty? He didn't know. All he knew was Chelsea was running an errand he and his brothers were locked inside the house doing nothing, as usual. And the thing was, something miraculous happened to him today.

_Who did he think he was talking to like that? It wasn't her fault they were, flipping, anime characters!_

Chelsea pushed the gas pedal when the light turned green. She gripped the steering wheel tightly as she fumed. Her eyes were narrowed and she leaned forward as if she were in a race. At the next stoplight she leaned back huffing out the anger that threatened to boil over.

Today was just not her day. First her brother called saying he couldn't make it over to see the fireworks because his girlfriend wanted to go to a party, with him, at her friend's house. Although she was glad she didn't have to worry about him seeing Sonic, Shadow and Silver it still hurt a little. Then on top of that Sonic, out of blue, got upset with her about not being able to go outside. He just screamed at her and she, like the good person she was, decided not to ground him until he was 30. Instead she just kept her cool until she couldn't take it anymore and made up the excuse to get out of the house. That wasn't the best thing to do either because that just caused the middle hedgehog to get angrier. And to sum it up she couldn't even see the fireworks today.

The light turned green and she continued her drive to nowhere. "What did I even do," she grumbled to herself, "It's not like I want them to stay in the house all the time. I really do feel bad that I do that to them but it's not by choice. If it were up to me I would take them everywhere with me but I can't. I don't want anything happening to them." Chelsea drove on until she parked her car in front of a building of condos.

How did she get here?

She found her hands open the car door and her legs carry her to an elevator. Her finger pushed the number 4 and the platform went up. Once the doors opened she walked in the beige hallway and stopped in front of door D12. Chelsea knocked on the door politely wondering, to herself, why she was here. She was startled when the door opened and Drew appeared before her.

"Oh, hey Cee-Cee. Happy Independence Day" he cheerfully exclaimed.

"H-happy Independence Day Drew." Her voice was small and soft. She glued her eyes on his shoes. Her eyes widened a bit and she raised her head, "Did I come here at a bad time? I can leave if you have somewhere to be."

Drew chuckled and smiled at her nervous behavior which was oddly peculiar but nonetheless funny. "No it's alright. I was just going to the store but it can wait. Would like to come inside already and start talking. We're wasting precious time," he teased. Chelsea rolled her eyes and pushed him out of the way. She muttered, "Jerk," while passing by him. He smirked and closed the door behind them.

Chelsea walked in not taking the time to really look around. She gruffly sat on the first sofa she saw and played around with a string that came loose from her shorts. She felt Drew sit by her. He crossed his leg put his arms behind his head.

"So Cee-Cee what brings you to my humble abode?"

Chelsea had the urge to roll here eyes again at his cockiness but settled for a sigh. She let her head fall back and crossed her arms.

"I- I just needed to get away."

Her tired and helpless tone brought Drew's full attention on here. He turned his head to her and asked, "What do you mean?"

Chelsea's eyes made patterns on the ceiling. All of frustration threatened to send her over the edge. "Get away from the house. One of my children blew up at me-"she stopped midway with here irises wide. Did she just say what she thought she said? Chelsea eyes slowly made their way to her left. She cursed mentally at Drew's expression. His eyes were the size dinner plates, his mouth was ajar and he looked slightly pale.

"D-Drew I didn't mean-"

"You have children?" he shouted. His face was in hers and he looked in her eyes praying for any signs this was a joke.

"They're not-"

"When were you going to tell me you were married Chelsea?"

Chelsea raised an eyebrow at him. The way he said husband was like he was forcefully trying to spit it out. And he said her name. She thought she heard anger but all she saw was confusion and a bit of melancholy.

"I never was married," she retorted. For some reason this statement made her embarrassed and she felt blood rush to her cheeks.

Drew moved his head back and blinked. He sat and stared at her with the weirdest face she ever saw. Chelsea's brows scrunched up in a cautious expression as a smirk grew on his face. What the heck was wrong with him? She gasped in complete disbelief at Drew's next statement.

"I know it hurts at first but, you'll get over it. Some guys are like that unfortunately. They get you pregnant and then they leave. you have to try to pick the ones that take you out first."

All Chelsea heard from that was, 'I didn't know you were a whore.' Her body flushed with embarrassment and anger. She stared at him hurt by his teasing smirk and taunting words.

Though, she failed to see the straining behind the smirk.

"T-that's not-"she tried to get out but found herself interrupted.

"Don't worry Cee-Cee, your secrets safe with me." Drew stood up, turned his back to her, put a hand on his hip and a finger in the air. "Although I always thought you were one of those really religious people."

Chelsea's knees and hands were on the seat of the couch and her eyes glittered with denial as she stuttered, "B-but Drew I-"

Drew's dark hair swayed as he looked over his shoulder and smirked. His hazelnut eyes darkened and glinted with a mixture of emotions. "I guess you proved me wrong. I didn't know you were so dirty."

She had enough. She was not like that. She never was and never will be. With a handful of new profound courage she shouted, "I was never married, I was never pregnant and I'm sure as hell a virgin you idiot!" Chelsea puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. Drew turned to look at her with regret flowing in his system. He looked at her stunned from her outburst.

Drew rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and went to apologize but he stopped when Chelsea screamed into the pillow. She started telling him off and that was when he sighed and sat by her.

"Ughh I hate you, you stupid good for nothing…UGHHH! Why-how could you think that Drew! I'm not a prostitute! Never have been and never will be. They're not even related to me-"

"Look," he raised his palms up and sheepishly chuckled, "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions it's just that you said 'your children' and I kind of freaked. You can't really blame me though, I am your best friend."

"Some friend you are," the young woman grumbled while hugging the same pillow.

"Hey, I said I was sorry," he cried crossing his arms and displayed a mock pout. His hazelnut irises stared at her with amusement and his pout mutated into a smile when he was playfully punched in the shoulder. Drew rubbed the sore spot and laughed, "Ouch Cee-Cee, Ouch."

"Serves you right you big jerk. I would slap you right now if I didn't like you."

"I know, I'm an ass but at least you still love me." Drew blinked multiple times fluttering his eyelashes. He made a kissy face and pushed his lips in her face making kissy sounds. The dark-skinned lady rolled her eyes and put a hand on his face pushing it away. She scoffed in disgust but a small smile made its way onto her features. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't stay mad at Drew. He just had this thing about him that made her smile.

It was annoying.

"Now that you've stopped cussing me out,- "

"I have done no such-"

"what do you have on your mind?"

Chelsea blinked. What in the name of volleyballs was that understatement of a gentlemen talking about? She cocked her head to the side staring at him as if he produced two heads. For a moment the two stared at each other; one confused and one nervous by the other's stare before a light bulb appeared over the 22 year olds head. Her face brightened and then darkened with the memories of the morning.

"Is everything alright Cee-Cee?" Drew asked noticing the saddened look.

Chelsea shook her head. She wasn't going to lie to anyone, including herself. "No not exactly. I'm taking care of three children for awhile and I've never let them outside the house." She needed to choose her words before she accidentally revealed something.

"Why not? That's unhealthy Cee-Cee. Kids need to be outside and play and do other stuff kids do."

"I know," Chelsea looked at her lap thinking of something to say, "I-It's just that they're…" she looked in his eyes with a sad smile, "Let's just say they're 'different' and if they were to go outside and somebody saw them they might get hurt. I hate that I keep them inside, I really do but I don't want to let them go and come back regretting ever stepping foot outside." Chelsea's eyes glittered. "I don't want them coming back with broken spirits. Drew, I can't handle that. I can barely handle the guilt right now." Her voice cracked towards the end.

Drew scowled at her troubled expression. He hated seeing her like this. It wasn't one of the many faces he liked to see. He tried to put himself in her place, striving to find a way to respond.

"Have you tried talking to them about it? I mean they should, probably, understand that you're just trying to protect them."

"I have, a countless number of times and they understand but sometimes, I think, it just doesn't- I don't know. One of them-"she chuckled dully with no amusement, "one of them hates me now. He screamed at me just before I left the house. And you know what Drew," Chelsea stared at a wall, her lip trembling, "I'm starting to think I deserved it."

He was speechless. He didn't know what to say. What _could_ you say? When he was a bit younger he remembered getting in fights with his parents but this was a different situation. The variables of this 'equation' were different, if that made sense. Drew was normal-well as normal as he could be-he was healthy but, Chelsea stated these kids were…different. What did that exactly mean, he didn't know. He assumed they had some type of birth defect. But that was only an assumption.

"No you don't Chelsea."

_Where did that come from?_

Drew's voice hardened to a more firm state. "I don't think he meant to hurt you in any way. Believe me, when I got in a tussle with my parents we all said stuff we didn't mean but you get angry and things just slip out." He chuckled at the memories that flowed through his mind.

"I just didn't think it would hurt so much."

Her whisper was low but it seemed to be enough to silence everything. Chelsea put her head in between her index finger and thumb. She sighed and saw her vision blur with unshed tears. She rapidly blinked ridding the salty water away. There was no time for crying today, she cried too much anyway.

The look and aurora Chelsea gave off seemed to dampen the atmosphere. Drew couldn't stand to see her this way any longer but, he didn't have any ideas on how to brighten her attitude. He gave a dull pat to his forehead, racking his brain for solutions. There had to be something he could do to help. His killer best friend answers-as he would say-had to activate now. He couldn't let her down.

Nothing.

"I wish I could take them outside though. At least until I find a way to-"

Hazelnut irises lit up with excitement. He gasped when a brilliant plan-he deemed-found its way to his brain. Chelsea lifted her head to him and gave a weird expression.

"What's up with you?" she asked a little irritated at his joyful expression. It was mean but, if she wasn't happy she didn't feel like anyone else should be either.

"After this, you wouldn't be able to do anything but kiss me." Drew displayed an ear-splitting grin and held his arms in front of him, chuckling, when a pillow was thrown at him.

"I seriously doubt it. Now tell me, your happiness is annoying me." Chelsea rolled her shoulders back in a disgusted way. She gave him a funny, weird, mutated- the look someone has when they drink cherry medicine- look. "I can already feel it invading and taking over my feelings. I hate it."

A dead pan stare met her chocolate eyes.

"You're a big emo when you're sad, Cee-Cee."

_"I still don't understand why we can't go out of the house." An azure hedgehog crossed his arms, putting his, entire, weight on his right leg. A scowl replaced his usual cheerful look._

_"Honey, we've been over this. You know why you can't go out." A dark-skinned woman stood, staring, directly at forest green that were looking coldly at her. _

_"No, I don't mom." Sonic said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He felt his foot tap at a rapid pace._

_A dark eyebrow raised in a slightly warning manner. "Watch your attitude Sonic. And what do you mean you don't know? I've told you a thousand times." Chelsea's eyes widened halfway when the cerulean male rolled his eyes and grunted in annoyance. _

_"Telling me I'm a freakin' cartoon character doesn't satisfy me mom. That's not enough. Why can't you just, oh, I don't know, take us in the car? I'm almost positive no one would see us." Sonic's voice hardened and his quills pricked his back from his anger. He didn't understand why they were always trapped inside. It sickened him that the only way he could feel the sun was to go to the backyard. For some reason all his life he always felt the urge to run, just run. He couldn't do that if he was stuck here._

_The young woman's lips straightened. Her black brows furrowed together. She felt a pang run through her chest. Has she been getting those often lately? Sonic's tone irked her to no end but what bothered her was; where was this anger was coming from? First she was reading and the next thing she knows he's glaring at her. _

_"Speedy, you know I can't risk that." Chelsea went to softly grab his forearms. When she did she was taken back when the famous blue hedgehog snatched them away from her. _

_"Don't call me that mom," he said firmly. Sonic glared at her with all the anger he could conjure up. He didn't care about her hurt look at all. _

_"Every day I'm stuck in here doing nothing but watching the stupid T.V." he dropped his arms to his side and clenched his fists. "I am literally shaking, sometimes, because all this energy is inside my body but I can't do anything but run around in circles in the damn backyard." He angrily gestured towards the back._

_"Sonic!" Chelsea shouted, with concern and worry sketching her features. What was wrong with him? Why was he, out of the blue, talking about this? She felt her anger lessen for some unknown reason. "Watch your language." Her voice went high._

_"Is that all you care about? My word- what kind of mother keeps her children inside 24/7, huh!?" his voice rose dangerously. "I bet you like to do this. I think you do this on purpose."_

_"Wha- Sonic, no. I'm not doing this to you purposely. I wouldn't keep you from outside by choice, "the 22 year old cried out stunned at his accusation. She reached a hand out for him and flinched when he hastily stepped back. _

_"Shut up. Stop lying!" Sonic clenched his teeth and growled. _

_He didn't understand anything anymore._

_"You're keeping us in here because we're animals. Just because you're a human and we're not doesn't make us any different. You say you're a Christian and you follow the Bible but yet you treat us like we're so different and so abnormal. I-I can't…" Sonic's words avoided him as the anger in his chest erupted like a volcano. He couldn't take it anymore. His mind always bothered about him about this subject and to confront her about it but he always pushed it to the back of his mind. But today was the day where he couldn't push it back. It instead tore through the bonds and seemed to take over the navy furry. _

_Sonic watched as his mom looked at him stunned. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape. Chelsea's silence angered him but, he didn't know why?_

_"Well? Say something." His head jerked forward as if being closer would prompt her answer._

_"I-I…" her strained voice hung in the air. Chelsea stared. That was the only thing she could do. Surprisingly, there were no tears, she wasn't trembling in fear, nothing. All she could do, was stare. His glare didn't intimidate her in the least bit and his tensed stance didn't scare her either. _

_From the bottom of their hearts they both knew Sonic wouldn't dare to touch Chelsea. It would never come to that. Ever. Period._

_Her breathing suddenly became pants from the tension of the room. Her emotions were jumbled up until she couldn't tell the difference between them. _

_"I need to run an errand."_

_It was the first thing her absent mind came up with. Get out of the house and, what better way than to run an errand._

_Apparently that was the wrong answer._

_Sonic scoffed in disbelief. He crossed his arms and gave a wicked smirk that had not a single trace mirth. "Oh so now you're mocking. Thank you mom. Wait, should I even call you that?" The anger that erupted before now overflowed his body. Sonic came up to her face and looked at her with sadness and anger combined. _

_She would never get that look to stop haunting her memories. _

_Sonic shook his head and clenched his eyes shut before opening them. Chelsea gasped and leaned away from him._

_"I hate you so much. I wish you weren't my mother."_

_And with that, he turned on his heels and angrily stomped up the stairs quickly. Quickly than he could remember. Sonic abruptly stopped when golden and ruby eyes looked at him impassively but he disregarded it and rudely pushed the two hedgehogs out of his way._

_The rest of the story was simple and short._

_Sonic slammed his door shut. Shadow and Silver looked at their mother worriedly but she was already halfway through the door. Before she fully closed it she dully said, "I'll be back soon, bye you two and tell Sonic I said bye." Chelsea's voice lowered and they had to strain their ears to hear. "I love you three." She them shut the door, not giving them the chance to reply._

He didn't care what they said. He didn't care what they did. And he certainly didn't care about how thought of him.

Sonic sat on his bed still infuriated. He was very displeased with his mother but as soon as she left his other look-alikes started pummeling him with, 'That was a stupid thing to say', or 'Sonic you know she loves us. You hurt her feelings a lot' and 'That was disrespectful faker' and even 'We know you didn't mean to say that but you need to apologize'.

Who gave them the right to tell him how he felt, or what to say, or what he thought? Sonic knew he hurt her feelings, so what? She hurt his every day. Just because he didn't say anything doesn't about it doesn't mean it was right for her to do so, right? And he definitely wasn't going to apologize. He meant what he said and said what he meant.

The azure furry fell back and stared at the ceiling. A hesitant, small, smile creped onto his muzzle.

He, secretly, always loved _Horton Hears a Who_.

The sound of wood rubbing wood caused his ear to flicker. Sonic sighed and turned on his side. Chelsea was back. Was it wrong that he winced when he said her real name in his mind? It felt…foreign. How did Shadow say it so freely?

"Sonic, Shadow, Silver could do come down here please?"

Why would she want him near her after everything he said to her? Sonic rolled his eyes when a vision of him getting scolded played in his mind. Of course, he was going to get a tongue lashing the minute he was in her eyesight. Reluctantly, he rolled off the bed and made his way to the origin of the voice. As he sluggishly strolled down the carpeted steps he ignored the warning glare the ebony hedgehog gave him and the worried glance the silver furry gifted. He rolled his eyes again and pushed past them.

All three hedgehogs stood before Chelsea who was at the dining table playing a game on her phone. When Silver said, "You called mom?"

She looked up and then quickly back down at her phone pausing the game and clicking it off. Chelsea stood up a bit too hastily.

"We have to go."

Three pairs of eyes blinked. What did she just say?

The dark-skinned woman felt the odd stared on her as she moved her eyes and head around pretending to look for something. It suddenly dawned her that she forgot where she placed her keys. With a irritated sigh she began looking for them before saying, "Hurry get in the car. We're going to be late. Oh, where in the world did I put my keys I just had them?"

Silver's heart skipped a beat. A full wave of confusion hit him in an instant. Did she say 'get in the car'? His brain kept telling him to calm down and that this must be some kind of lesson she planned out for Sonic but, he couldn't keep the organ in his chest from pumping rapidly. "W-wait, what?" he stuttered.

"Oh, honey, I said if you guys don't get in the car we're going to be-where are they…" Chelsea trailed off busily searching for the keys. She was oblivious to the huge grin the almost ripped Silver's face in half.

A feeling of giddiness washed over the youngest hedgehog. His mouth was open in a smile and his golden hue eyes sparkled with so much joy, it seemed like they were replaced with diamonds. Silver started hyperventilating only for a second before pinching himself. When he winced he jumped straight up into the air fist pumping. This wasn't a dream. This was real. This was really real. His prayers were answered! His quills swayed side to side as he looked for his iPod Touch. He needed to capture every bit of the outside world.

"This is the best day of my entire life!"

As Silver dashed off someplace two hedgehogs were left. An azure hedgehog that had a completely blank look on his face and an ebony one who narrowed his eyes at Chelsea.

Was this some kind of joke? When someone has been enclosed from the outdoors all their life you don't just stroll in and say get in the car we're going somewhere. That defies every logical explanation there is. Shadow scoffed at how trusting Silver was. You don't just give into something like this.

Shadow sent invisible daggers, through his eyes, at his mother who still searched for the metal keys. The only thing he felt was suspicion. If Chelsea was playing them he would make sure she would pay. Not anything drastic but something she would remember. This was not something to be joked about and he wanted the real answers.

"Mother, what are you implying?" His deep voice held made the question sound more of a demand. Shadow crossed his arms.

Chelsea picked out all the flowers in the vase and looked through them. Absent mindedly she said, "I'm not implying anything. I just want you guys to get in the car." She threw her arms in the air and whined when she couldn't find the blasted things. "Oh come on, I just had them. Where could they be!?"

A dark brow raised and the crimson striped male let his arms drop. She said that sentence as if it were second nature. His brain suddenly buzzed with endless questions which he couldn't keep shut. "But what about us? You said we couldn't be seen. This doesn't make sense. What if we are seen? What if our appearance gets you into trouble? Why are you so happy? Weren't you just upset with Sonic? Wait, why are we even going anywhere? Where are we going? Are you alright? Did you take your pills today? Aren't you mad? You can't just say get in the car. Th-that's not right. Wait, I'm confused. But how did you-, I don't- but…WHY?" Shadow's rambling caused him a massive headache and he rubbed his temples in agony. It just didn't make sense. And if it didn't make sense it usually caused him to think about it until he could barely lift his own head.

His headache must've been powerful and contagious because Chelsea found herself rubbing her forehead. She giggled at his expression. It was quite comical and not to mention cute when Shadow got confused. He was different person, he wasn't the dark, brooding hedgehog anymore who always kept his cool. When he thought too hard it sent him way off and he always made this cross-eyed look. She shook her head and continued looking for her keys.

"Shadow, baby, just stop talking and sit in the car. If you think too much your eyes are going to get stuck like that."

Shadow blinked and found himself looking at his nose. Before he was able to conjure up a million and one questions on what she meant he stopped it. With a, dreadfully confused, sigh he trudged his way to the garage. He mumbled incoherent phrases, talking to himself.

Now there was only one hedgehog left. One, very, blue hedgehog.

Words avoided him, thoughts avoided him. Sonic's body went numb. He couldn't feel anything but his heart which thumped and thumped. His eyes showed no emotion but they were wide. His mouth said was ajar but no words came out. He just stood there gawking at Chelsea.

To be honest, his reaction kind of scared Chelsea. He just looked at her with no emotion and silence. The kind of silence there is just before someone leaps out of the shadows with a knife. This was the thing he wanted from her so, why was he so…blank. Chelsea's full attention landed upon the cerulean male. She went up to him, cautiously, not wanting to alarm him. When she was in front of she whispered, "Do you think you could sit in the car for me."

His emerald eyes studied her chocolate ones. Sonic nodded and he almost didn't realize his feet were moving.

Why wasn't he mad at her? Why wasn't she mad at him? Why did he feel like breaking down?

"Mother, what happens if I open the door?"

"What do you mean Shady?"

"Will something happen if I open the car door?"

"Oh my gosh Shady, just open the door."

Sonic looked up to see he was standing beside Shadow and Silver. The silver one was jumping in his spot waiting impatiently for the older on to open the door to the backseat but, he seemed hesitant to.

"What the hay Shadow, open the door!" Silver flung his arms frantically

"You don't know what will happen. Have you seen what these things can do? One touch and you blow up. It might sound ridiculous but that's what happens in all the shows!"

A laugh was heard from the dark-skinned woman. The look on Shadow's was almost as if he was scared of the car. "Are you serious?"

He nodded with alarmed eyes. "I'm not opening the door," he snapped his, crimson, eyes shut and grunted in defiance. "I don't feel like cutting my life short right now."

"Oh, you big cry baby-just open the flipping door Shadow!" Silver earned a glare from the ebony hedgehog.

"Watch it faker. I am no such thing."

"And I'm not a faker!"

"Someone, just, open the door," Chelsea shouted already tired with the situation.

Sonic opened the silver door and easily sat down without a word. He felt everybody's eyes on him while he found the seat belt and clicked it in the lock. His eyes stayed on his hands as he played with them.

He still didn't understand.

The three pairs of eyes outside of the car glanced at each other with concern sparked in them. A soft smile came from the human and the two hedgehogs, wordlessly, got into the car.

It wasn't anything they expected at all. It was small inside but roomy enough to sit and move. The cotton seats were firm but soft against the skin under their fur. The roof above them was also soft, when they touched it, but something hard was behind it. Sonic shut the door, making a loud bang, causing Shadow to jump and hit his head. Silver snickered and a, barely noticeable, smirk came upon the azure hedgehog's, coral pink, muzzle. Shadow caught the smirk and, despite the humiliation, he was satisfied that the second oldest wasn't completely…gone.

After a quick seat belt check Chelsea put the keys, which were in her pocket the whole time, in the ignition. The sound of the engine running startled them. Sonic, Shadow and Silver all tried to look at her, hitting their heads together in the process.

"W-what's t-that s-s-sound mom?" Silver asked shaking in slight fear. He didn't realize he was hugging Sonic, who was very uncomfortable by this.

Chelsea rolled her eyes and looked back and put the car in reverse. "It's just the engine. I need the engine to start in order to make the car move. Don't worry, sweetie, nothing is going to happen," she chuckled as the car started backing out. She stared at the back window making sure nothing was in her way. When the car was fully out of the garage the orange sunlight hit the three hedgehogs from the windows. They took no time in scrambling to the window. Shadow had his own while Sonic and Silver shared one. Their faces and hands were pressed against the car window. The mother of the three giggled in amusement as their eyes widened in awe. They haven't even gone past their front yard.

The car soon arrived on the road, parallel to the house. This was the first time the three hedgehogs ever saw their house. They knew it was big but the size of it, in their own eyes, was overwhelming. It made them feel like ants. When they looked around they gasped when they saw all the other houses. The houses were similar in size. Their house was made of bricks but it was covered in white paint. There were traces of purple but they didn't get a chance to actually take in the picture.

As the car glided along the hardened tar Sonic couldn't help but feel a burst of excitement run through him. The trees weren't anything he imagined. From what he saw on T.V. trees were always green and huge but, he could saw otherwise. Some of these trees were in fact enormous in size but some of them were their height. There weren't only green leaves; there were red, yellow and brown. There weren't many of these colors but he still saw them. Sonic silently gasped. The nature outside was breath taking. All his thoughts of the outside world came to life and they were much more realistic. His eyes sparkled as he observed the grass, the flowers and the many other plants he didn't recognize. The cerulean hedgehog suddenly felt the urge to stick his just touch the outside air. It might've sounded weird but, something in him craved to feel everything that was outside. To breathe the crisp air that everyone on T.V. did. He wanted to ask but he dint want to ruin this. If his mom was still mad at him, one bad move and he would ruin everything. So unwillingly, he kept quiet and let Mother Nature stun him from behind the window.

There were many buildings. Many, many, buildings. There were also hundreds of cars surrounding them and endless amounts of road to drive on. The feeling of giddiness, mixed with mirth, joy, happiness, awe, cheer, merriment, and any other word, you can think of, that has to do with happiness crashed into Silver. The immense, teeth showing, smile would never be overcome by any other. His golden eyes shined with curiosity and childlike innocence as he watched the activity take place on the other side of the window. His seat belt couldn't keep him contained in his seat. All the people out there were doing activities he could only dream of. Some of them skate boarded, others road their bikes, people walked, drove cars ate burgers and fries outside, and under trees. People watered plants, walked their dogs, carried bags, and jogged. Silver was amazed at all the possible things you could do. What caught his attention were two children, they had to be at least six, which were running about one chasing the other. Once in awhile, when someone touched another they would say, "Tag! You're it," and then they would run. It looked so weird yet he wanted to play too. A slight feeling of jealousy touched him. He never remembered ever having that much fun with anybody. Silver shook his head and smiled, painfully pushing the jealousy into the darkest corner of his mind. Now was not the time to think negatively. To take his mind off of it further he continued staring at the amazing colors on all the buildings.

Shadow never thought the sky was this big. I mean he knew it was big but, this was _big_. In the backyard he would look up and see the massive blue ocean in the sky and wouldn't think anything of it. But now, he stared at the same cloud for what seemed like a million years and the car barely moved past it. Because it was in the evening the sky was a mixture of blue and light orange but it was still breathe taking. The vastness of it calmed him yet made him nervous. Where did it end? All things ended so where was this ending of the sky? Ruby eyes liquefied in confusion. The outside world seemed go against everything he thought. It was very different. Nothing he could ever think of. He observed the human activities but, it didn't interest him. He tried focusing on the nature that surrounded him, which he found intriguing at first but he found his attention back on the sky. Just looking at it brought him an eerie type of peace he wasn't use to. It also allowed him to think for some reason. He felt like he could think more freely. It was weird yet comforting.

It was funny how you could turn from, know it all, teenagers to, always curious, toddlers in five seconds flat. Chelsea kept her eyes on the road and smiled at the gasps she heard once in awhile. When she stopped at a red light she took the time to glance at them. She giggled. Their faces were smushed against the glass and they were barely sitting in their seats. These were one of those times where she thanked the tinted windows. As the light turned green and she drove she said, "Are you enjoying yourselves?"

When she received absent minded 'mmhm's she chuckled lightly once more. _If they were amazed now, wait till they got to their destination._ She would admit. Drew's plan was simply genius.

The white car stopped at a beach? Sonic jerked his head back and almost laughed at the mist and clouded mirror that he made from his face. He looked around and saw multitudes of sand. He looked over his shoulder and met Shadow and Silver's eyes that also held question. The three jerked their heads towards the sound of the car door closing.

Chelsea held her sandals in her hand and shook them before throwing them a under a nearby tree. Sonic opened the car door but couldn't get out. The air outside hit him like a ton of bricks. It was crisp and had the smell of salt. (Hence the beach) He felt the cool ocean breeze caress his face and an overwhelming feeling of freedom enveloped his body. The blue male wasted no time unbuckling his seat belt and standing on the concrete which was a mere few feet away from the sand. He stepped towards it.

"Wait Speedy. You have to take off your socks and shoes before going on the sand. I don't want sand in the car."

She called him Speedy. Why wasn't she mad at him?

Sonic nodded and, obeying her orders, started taking them off.

Silver followed his older brother out of the car and laughed when the wind smoothed over his body. His skinny arms straightened out to the sides of him. He didn't care how silly he looked it felt refreshing to him. When he let his arms drop to his sides he copied Sonic's movements, trying to get on the sand as soon as possible.

The air was nice. It was less heavy than the air inside the house. It smelt nice also. The crimson hedgehog had no difficulty getting out of the car. He took in the scenery around him. A beach outstretched the horizon and just a few feet away was the parking lot they stood on. His ruby eyes watched as two hedgehogs taking their shoes and socks off. His eyes almost popped out of their eye sockets.

Shadow wasn't ready just yet. He got out of the car alright but he wasn't going to take off his shoes. The feeling of being naked wasn't one he was going to get accustomed to any time soon. It bothered him and he felt dirty. And besides, he was uncomfortable with his feet anyway. He felt embarrassed to show them to anybody then himself. He crossed his arms and turned his back on the three beings. He would be just fine with his shoes on.

"Hey Shady, do you mind taking your shoes and socks off?" Chelsea asked softly, noticing he wasn't mimicking Sonic and Silver.

"I am not exposing my feet in public," Shadow grunted.

The young woman dropped her shoulders and gave him a dead pan stare. "Don't tell me we're going to start with this naked business again." She sighed when he didn't respond. "If it makes you feel any better, no one else is going to be around here. Only us. I promise." She made sure of that.

Shadow looked over his shoulder and caught her eyes. He humphed and looked down at his feet and blushed. "It's not only that." He gingerly played with his feet.

She cocked her head to the side and raised a brow. "What do you mean." A hand was placed on her hip. And here she thought Sonic was the stubborn one.

The onyx male's blush turned a deeper shade of red. He watched as Chelsea traveled to his side. As she stood next to her he observed her feet with envy before glaring at his. Without looking at her he murmured, "Our feet aren't exactly, like yours."

Confusion hit Chelsea. "What do you mean-"

"Hey mom, where should we put our shoes?"

She looked back and at Sonic and Silver. They held out there shoes with their socks stuffed in them. Before she said anything she glanced at their feet. Chelsea's eyes widened a bit. They were particularly big. Let's just say they made her feet look like sticks. But the thing was she didn't see anything wrong with them. She actually expected it from all the pictures she's seen.

"Put them under that tree." She pointed to the same tree she put her sandals under.

Shadow watched her face closely. Her widened eyes were all needed to set his mind. He wasn't going to take off his shoes no matter what. "See what I mean. Not only are our feet like that my feet are…it's just embarrassing. I'm not taking my shoes off."

"Aww come on Shady. Take them off. Please? I don't care how they are. I mean don't you want to feel the sand? It's really soft."

He gritted his teeth and looked away from his mother. He didn't understand why she had this kind of power over him. If she told him to do something he would always do it in the end. If he didn't follow her orders in the beginning something inside him would nag him till he obeyed.

"Fine but, if you laugh-"

"I won't."

Reluctantly Shadow bent over and slid his socks off. He handed them to her but didn't let them go. Chelsea pulled and pulled until he finally snatched it away from him. She gave him a weird before signaling him for the socks. He sighed and glared at her and hesitantly took them off.

…

…

…

A loud laugh erupted from the small beach. Chelsea fell over clutching her stomach. The ache was ignored as tears ran down her cheeks. She rolled in laughter when she took another look at the black hedgehog's feet.

"Why-why are they s-so fat!? BAHAHAHAHAHA."

Shadow's head was flushed in red from embarrassment and anger. He clenched his fists, and stomped his bare foot on the ground. "Stop laughing Chelsea! You said you wouldn't laugh! STOP LAUGHING!" he shouted. He bared his fangs at her.

Chelsea looked up at him panting from the lack of air. She took a huge gasp filling her aching lungs with the substance. She smiled as she got up from the ground and smiled at him. She stifled another laugh when she caught another look of his feet. Once she was in front of him she bowed in mockingly. "I am so sorry your highness." She looked down and saw his crimson striped feet and laughed once again.

"Y-your feet…pfft…there…pfft… so…HAAHAHA. I-I'm sorry Shady they're just so big." She quickly put a hand on her mouth once Shadow started walking away. Chelsea raced after him, grabbing his arm. He snatched it away angrily and glared at her, red drowning his muzzle.

"Leave me alone. I'm going back in the car." Shadow puffed his cheeks before turning away from her.

The 22 year old, once again, locked her hands around his arm. When he tried to free his arm she gripped it tighter. "Sh-shady," she giggled, "I'm sorry. I really am. Please come back. I promise I won't laugh." Chelsea gave him her best puppy dog face. "You wouldn't want to sadden your dear mother would you?"

"It would give me the greatest pleasure."

"Oh come on Shadow."

Shadow eyed her. "Do you promise you won't laugh anymore?"

"Cross my heart." Chelsea made an 'X' on her chest.

After another look over he sighed. "Fine." He already wanted to go back home.

A squeal came from her and she dragged him to the sandy beach, where Sonic and Silver were already running around on. As soon as Shadow stepped foot on the sand he felt it massage his feet. The grains ran between his feet and it slightly tickled him.

"Mom, look at what I found!" Silver screamed from 20 feet away. He held a white shell high in the air. "It's so pretty."

"Good job Silvy. Do you think you can find a bigger one for me?"

"Sure!"

Shadow looked at the water with curiosity. He jumped a bit when someone pushed him causing him to almost fall in it.

"Tag, you're it."

Sonic went running past him. The ebony hedgehog blinked at the direction he went in before chasing after him. "Come back here faker," he shouted.

Chelsea watched as they  
ran after each other. She giggled when poor Silver was tagged and face planted in the sand. She sat on her hind looking out towards the sea. She picked up multiple, broken, shells surrounding her. The dark-skinned woman gasped when she felt a poke on her shoulder.

"Tag, you're it."

She turned her head to see Silver flash a piece sign before dashing off. Chelsea grinned and immediately stood up and ran.

"I'm gonna get you Silvy." Her arms were stretched in front of her.

Throughout the rest of evening the four chased each other, tackling and tumbling on the sandy beach. Laughter filled the air and joy was set in the atmosphere. The sun set on the sea casting out orange, red and purple rays making it the perfect setting. The sea glittered and the waves crashed distributing calming sounds. The sea gulls flew in the air screaming whatever annoying sound they made.

In the night sky panting was all that was heard. There were gasps for breathe wheezes. Four beings, three hedgehogs and one human particularly, were covered in sand from head to toe. The human rubbed her arms and legs in attempt to get rid of the, yellow, grains.

"You know, you guys didn't have to tackle me to the ground. When you're playing tag you normally just poke people."

The three hedgehogs shook their quills and also rubbed their limbs trying to get rid of the sand. "You did it too," they said in perfect harmonization. Chocolate eyes rolled and a scoff came from dark lips. "You did it first," Chelsea retorted quietly, crossing her arms. She pouted playfully.

A steady smile came upon all of their faces and hearty laughter filled the air. The four sat on the sand facing each other. All of their sandy feet touched. Silver suddenly brightened.

"Ooh I just remembered a game we could play."

"I hope it doesn't have anything to do with running. I'm getting too old for that. Next thing you know I break a hip," Chelsea semi-joked.

"Your 22 mother and, let's face it, you just don't have good stamina," Shadow smirked as he was playfully kicked in his shin.

"Kudos to that," Sonic agreed laughing. Chelsea also smacked his arm. She puffed out her cheeks and murmured, "You two are so cruel. Forget you, I liked Silver more anyway."

"I always knew I was he was your favorite."

"Actually, Shadow, I always thought she liked you more."

"As if. She's harder on me than you guys. But I did always think she always liked you a little more also. You get away with everything."

"That's not true. I get in trouble 20 times a day."

"Be quiet you two. I was just joking. I love you all the same. I have no favorites."

Silver stared at them irritated. When he finally had it he said, "Umm excuse me, but I was saying that we could play a game before you guys INTERRUPTED me." The three looked his way and sheepishly apologized. When Silver was just about to say something a loud banging sound erupted from the sky. The metallic furry yelled out in fright and jumped into Chelsea's arms. Sonic, also startled moved closer towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist colliding with Silver's. He looked around and growled lowly. Shadow, thinking it was a gun, stood up and put an arm out protectively but, he inched closer to Chelsea.

Chelsea just laughed and earned stare filled with disbelief.

"Why are you laughing? Somebody has a gun and-"Shadow started but she interrupted.

"Sit down Shadow and every one look at the sky." She nodded her head upwards. The three hedgehogs cautiously obeyed and their jaws dropped in amazement.

The black sky was filled with exploding flames that were purple. It spread out like a water geyser and then sprinkled down burning out. Soon two took its place, one green and one red and when the color were distributed the same sound split through the air.

"Happy Independence day guys."

Sonic, Shadow and Silver gazed at her while she kept her eyes on the sky. The light from the fireworks made her appear the same colors. They looked at each other and then back at her. Chelsea met their eyes and smiled a heart-warming smile.

"I'm sorry," Chelsea whispered, "I'm so sorry."

Their eyes widened. They knew what she was talking about. They huddled up against her and wrapped their arms around her. She also did that to them and kissed the top of their heads.

Another firework exploded in the dark sky.

"You have nothing to be sorry about mother," Shadow said nuzzling into her side.

"He's right mom. We understand that you only want to protect us." Silver sighed calmly, absorbing the loving embrace he was in.

Chelsea's smile grew wider. She hugged them closer and fixed her gaze back on the fireworks. It slightly worried her that Sonic didn't say anything but she knew it would take time and she would keep on loving him every step of the way. She soon pushed away that thought when she felt someone poke her. Chelsea looked down and Sonic met her gaze. He rested his chin on the left side of her chest. Unshed tears brimmed his bottom eye lid but it was too dark for her to see.

He wanted to say something to her. He longed to thank her for taking them outside. He wanted to say he was sorry but he couldn't. The words would not come out. Sonic couldn't bear to look at her anymore. She smiled at him yet he never said anything. It was as though she could see right through him and she knew what he wanted to say. His quills swayed as he buried his head back in her chest, squeezing her. He rapidly blinked back the tears. He didn't care about the fireworks anymore. He just wanted to go back home.

"Speedy please look at the fireworks. I really don't want you to miss them."

But he couldn't ignore her pleas.

"Goodnight Shady. I love you."

"I love you too mother. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Silvy. I love you."

"Goodnight mom. Love you too. And thank you for today."

"No problem. Remember, both of you pray before you go to bed."

"Yeah, yeah. Go to sleep."

"Ha-ha. Sweet dreams."

And azure ear flickered as it picked up the conversations. Sonic quickly jumped in his bed pulling the heavy sheets on his body when footsteps approached his door. He laid his head on the pillow. The door opened as expected and Sonic watched as his mom walked towards the bed. Her small hand touched his cheek and her thumb caressed it. She whispered, "Goodnight speedy. I love you," and headed towards the door.

That was all it took.

Sonic grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. Chelsea fell on the bed, in a tight embrace. She sat up surprised. She suddenly felt her shirt become wet.

"S-speedy?"

Chelsea gasped when a violent sob ripped through the air. She felt the vibration on her stomach. She instantly brought her hands on his back and rubbed it.

Sonic's shoulders shook as he cried, "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." He looked up with red eyes a hot tears strolling down his cheeks. He shook his head slowly. "I-I never hated you. I was just mad. I never meant to hurt you-" Chelsea put a finger on his lips and shushed him. She pushed his head back into her chest.

"It's alright. I know."

"Please forgive me. Please don't hate me." He clung on to her shirt.

"I already have sweetie. I never did hate you."

"I'm sorry mommy. I love you."

"I love you to baby."

And for the rest of the night Sonic cried till he fell asleep.

He fell asleep with a light heart that night.

* * *

Thank you for reading. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	13. There've Been Better Days

**Author's Note: **_So hi! Yeah it's been awhile hasn't it. Yeah sorry for that but I had a life to attend to so...anyway. I would just like to say thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites, they mean a lot. Oh just a warning, this chapter has mushy gushy stuff towards the end. Ya'know just saying. Well hope you enjoy. Bye!_

_All spelling and grammatical errors are my fault. _

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic and the others. They belong to SEGA. Chelsea, Bulge and Anthony belong to me.**

**Shadow: **_I find it offensive that you never mention any other names besides Sonic's and your OCs._

**Silver: **_Yeah we're just as important._

**SunLove: **_Oh my gosh I...have never cared less in my life before._

**Sonic: **_In your faces fakers._

**SunLove:** _Shut it Sonic._

**Sonic: **_Well someone didn't get a chilidog today._

* * *

Chapter 13: There've been better days

It was going to take a while to get used to this.

Although everyone was ecstatic that a certain, silver, hedgehog discover his powers it was quite, well, different. How would someone put this, at least walking wasn't a daily chore anymore. In the house, instead of walking to get your purse, the purse would float towards you. Chelsea gave a wary smile to Silver and thanked him, again, for his services.

Secretly, she was glad she was going to work.

Silver's psychic powers had kicked in not too long ago and too surprise everyone with his power he decided to hold the three, sleeping, beings over the rail. Might I mention they were on the top floor? It wasn't exactly the brightest idea the young hedgie had but nevertheless it ended well enough. After a few scoldings and a near beat down later Silver, bashfully, accepted the praises he was given. Like any other child with a brand new ability, he used it constantly. There were times where the other three would have to beg for him to let them down. Walking wasn't something so normal anymore.

Telekinesis was a whole other ball game too. Relentlessly, Sonic, Shadow and Chelsea would have their thoughts invaded by a childlike voice. They had to watch what they thought 24/7 and it annoyed them to some extent. Chelsea tolerated it because she was supposed to be the mother that encouraged and praised her child. But this was the only thought keeping her from lashing out at him. Sonic's hope for their powers suddenly burst through the roof. Yes, this whole not walking and telepathic thing irritated him but, it wasn't enough push away the unexplainable happiness he had. Shadow didn't have tolerance or patience. He was…happy, you could say, that Silver, was indeed, the first to achieve his powers but that didn't mean he was okay with the fact it affected his daily life. He, partly, didn't mind the no walking law the metallic colored furry, suddenly, created but he didn't enjoy having to control his thoughts. His mind was the one place he could 'escape' from the others when they annoyed him but now he couldn't even curse mentally without getting tattled on.

It was defiantly going to take some time to get used to this.

"You need a boyfriend."

"Way to put it out there Cathy."

"Oh come on Chelsea, all you do is talk about your kids. You sound like my grandma."

"I do not talk about them all the time."

"Oh yeah. How are they by the way? Anything new?"

"Oooh yeah, my youngest one just learned something new and he's helping so much. He's so adorable sometimes. You should see his smile. Oh, I can't wait to get home and-"

"You see? That's what I'm talking about. You go into lala land when you talk about them. I'm giving some friendly advice; stop it. You're scaring the men away. It's like your world revolves around them."

"So you're saying I can't love them?"

"I didn't say that. Family always comes first. I'm just saying that you should start focusing a little more attention on dating. In about three years it's going to start getting harder and harder until you're one of those 40 year old somethings wondering around the streets for a guy."

"I guess you're right Cathy. "

" you have another table!"

"Oh, I'll see you later. I have to go to a table."

"Ok honey."

With that the young woman went off to a table. Her conversation with Cathy wasn't exactly how she wanted to start her day but, she would just have to suck it up. The subject of dating wasn't something she took lightly. She would try to avoid discussing it if the topic was mentioned. She knew she needed to start the dating game but she wasn't good at it. Every time someone caught her eye, which was rare, she would try to catch them but, she didn't have the guts to go up to them. Cathy said to try and be friends first but she was too shy to even try. It didn't help that she wasn't too confident in herself. In her mind, and she believed in everyone else's, she wasn't the most beautiful woman out there. She was decent in her opinion but, not eye catching. Her skin tone also brought down her self-esteem. In fact this whole topic did.

Chelsea sighed glumly before pasting, yet another, smile on her face and went to the waiting table. She quickly wrote down the two drinks and scurried off to get them. When she returned she patiently waited for the couple she attended to order. A brunette with green eyes put a finger to her chin, deciding her order. She put the menu down and looked at, what seemed to be, her husband. The pretty brunette then asked, "Charles, are you alright with the artichoke dip for the appetizer?" Her soft voice eased the tension from Chelsea's chest.

A dark, sturdy, man looked up from his menu with a charming smile. His dark brown eyes closed as he chuckled, "If that's what you want then I'm alright with it Alyssa." Alyssa nodded happily and perkily replied, "Okay!" She then turned to Chelsea with a grin and said her order.

It wasn't fair.

Chelsea only witnessed a small conversation between two lovers, yet, instead of inwardly adoring the couple all she could feel was…envy. She could practically feel the love radiating from the two. They looked as if they were one person but, split in two. Their eyes held so much love for each other; Chelsea thought she could actually see a line. Every word they spoke was so soft, so delicate, it was amazing but irritating to her. Why couldn't she look at someone like that and him her? When would she find her other half? Just because of this couple, her heart yearned and ached for another. Jealousy filled her body and it soon turned into rage. All of a sudden, she hated this couple.

The young woman, angrily, wrote it down and collected the menus. She had to catch herself before she snatched them from their hands. As she was about to storm out she abruptly stopped in her tracks when Alyssa exclaimed, "Excuse me miss!" Chelsea, without hesitation, walked her way back to her.

"Anything wrong ma'am?" she said in the sweetest voice she could come up with. She bit her tongue in order to hold back her anger.

Alyssa shook her head and her emerald eyes suddenly traveled down to Chelsea's, high waist, black, pants. Part of the waiter's blouse seemed to have come out of its place. With determination set in Alyssa's eyes she lunged forward to solve the problem. Chelsea gasped as she felt her fingers grab the brim of her dress pants. Charles almost jumped out of his seat and his eyes popped out. He put a hand out trying to stop the action but immediately stopped when Alyssa held a finger up keeping her gaze on the pants. After a few more seconds of tucking she finally, to Chelsea's relief, released the pants and grunted in satisfaction. As she sat back in her seat she smiled with proud.

"The front part of your shirt was sticking out so I decided to fix it," she stated like it was a normal, day to day, thing. Charles nervously chuckled at his wife's childish behavior and apologized for her actions. Chelsea waved it off and sweat dropped. Although she was sure her cheeks got lighter she smiled and thanked the woman. Hastily, she strolled to the chef.

As she walked she noticed her anger fled. Her hate for their love suddenly turned into remorse and guilt. Here she was angry at them for something they couldn't control. She was being selfish and just plain mean. Chelsea scolded herself repeatedly until she felt she received what she deserved.

Silver sat on the floor smugly. He crossed his arms and smirked at the ebony hedgehog in the air. He simply ignored the hedgehogs strained muffles as he shook him around. Earlier, Sonic made a bet with him stating for every minute he kept Shadow over the rail he would give him a dollar. Silver not passing the opportunity to hold money, even though he wouldn't know what to do with it, he accepted the challenge.

The crimson streaked hedgehog was just about to put a spoonful of pudding in his mouth before it suddenly floated out of his hands. Without hesitation he chased after it only to find his body not responding to his brains commands. A sky blue aura surrounded his body and immediately he knew the culprit responsible. Shadow angrily glared daggers at Silver, who was behind him. The first thing he did when he laid eyes upon silver furry he screamed profanities. A holler of agony escaped as his head clashed with the wall above him.

"We do not curse Shadow," Silver snickered.

If he could, Shadow would've already murdered him. He watched venomously as his brother only laughed. He was about to curse him out to find he was unable to move his own mouth. Shadow's ruby eyes widened. He tried again but only made muffled sounds.

"And to make sure you don't," Silver said as he traveled up the stairs, "I shut your mouth for you. Aren't I ni- hey! You know I can read your-" he gasped offended by the profanities from the ebony hedgehog. "How rude." his eyes narrowed at him. Without a second to pass he put the crimson striped furry over the railing. Silver's laugh was filled to the brim with pure taunt. Over the rail, right above the glass center table in the living room, Shadow floated. His blood irises were half hidden under his eyelids. His eyes slanted in rage. He sent killer glares towards the metal colored hedgehog. It was the only way to show his hate for him at the moment.

Bulge bit his lip. He could feel the fear rising up in his chest. The papers on the clip bored held words and those words weren't good. The brown mole, nervously, flipped another paper upwards, it leaned off the clipboard. His brown eyes contracted with new profound fear. He turned it over, hastily, and scanned the next page. He cursed and repeated until he found his claws touching the caramel wood. Bulge was there, frozen.

She didn't report back. It was as simple as that yet terrifying. Although he, himself, wasn't the one who wasn't the one who committed the crime his, new, leader, unfortunately, wasn't one who dealt with bad news well. The littlest thing and, BOOM, the whole world seems to crash according to the new boss. The mole fixed the circular glasses placed upon his snout, with his pointer finger, shakily. He looked over the reports, again, trying to force his mind to believe what he was seeing was false. But the 7 words on the seven pieces of paper were still the same. **No recent activity found in the last** **week.**

Unfortunately, his 14/20 vision had not failed him. Of course, of all the times...

"So I take it, it was the same as last time," a masculine voice inquired accept, it was more of a statement, as if, he knew it for a fact but wanted to confirm it.

Bulge nodded without looking to see who the voice originated from. He held the clipboard with one hand while he shoved his finger nail in his mouth. He bit it quickly and when it was down to the nub he continued to the next doomed stubby appendage.

"Correct. She hasn't replied back and I don't think the Professor is going to be happy with this. This is the seventh time I'm going to be telling him this and to tell you the truth I'm a bit afraid," Bulge said, his voice almost rising to a more frantic tone. "The last time I told him this he was furious. He said the next I come to him I better have reports but I don't."

A deep chuckle came from the other causing the distraught mole to turn his head. His face morphed into one with disbelief before scowling lightly. "This is no laughing matter Anthony! This is serious. He threatened me and you're laughing about it? I could die!" Bulge waved his arms frantically.

A caramel raccoon soon came into view. His black striped tail swished from side to side as he calmly walked towards the mole. The aurora around him radiated with a calm serenity that would dampen any trace negativity. Bulge, who was only a little bit affected by this, let his arms fall to his side but still let that look of fear sparkle in his eyes. The raccoon put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Calm down Bulge. Everything will be okay. That _dictator_," he spat,"will not harm you. He has no reason to. It's not your fault so don't worry."

"But Anthony it's not that simple. You've seen what he can do. I've heard the rumors and everything. I've heard that when he's angry he goes too extremes. They say he's holding some people hostage and torturing them because they angered him. I even think he's killed some of the other's and it hasn't even been a two months after the bloodbath. Do you know I haven't seen Jacob in three days? Linda never lies Anthony!"

"Bulge breathe! Your face is turning blue. You shouldn't believe rumors. It's all just pointless gossip. Anyway, we all know Linda will say anything to scare you and besides, I just saw Jacob in the testing lab so, rests assure, he's okay."

The raccoon's last statement reduced the fear in his chest a bit.

"Although I have no doubt that scumbag would reduce to killing in one of his little tantrums."

Never mind.

Bulge eyes almost popped out of his head. "Anthony!"

Anthony chuckled lightly and held a hand up. "Okay okay, I'm sorry but, he won't do anything to you okay. I'll make sure of that."

"How," Bulge asked.

"Because I'll be there with you. As long as I can cool him down when his temper rises we should be alright. Now hurry. Rumor has it he's usually his calmest at this hour." Without another word Anthony walked past the mole. Bulge stood there staring straight ahead. A reassuring, warm, feeling spread through his mind and his nerves calmed. A small smile formed on his lips as he tilted his head. A second later, he blinked. His chocolate irises widened and he hurriedly followed his companion with his brows scrunched together.

"Hey, I thought you said not to believe in rumors you hypocrite."

The door opened and closed shut like any other day.

The 22 year old who walked through it sighed and let her feet walk her, up the steps, to the bedroom. Her legs slightly ached after at the top of the stairs but it was nothing to her buzzing mind. She kicked off her black Vans and threw her purse on her bed. Chelsea traveled over to her mirror and examined herself. She straightened her uniform; a white, long-sleeved, silky shirt that had a white collar and black buttons going down her torso. She also had high waist black dress pants. She turned to her side and then twisted her neck to look over her back trying to get a view of her backside. She marveled herself back to her original position and began stroking the braid that cascaded over right shoulder. The young woman then grabbed a black-gray bow and clipped her bangs with it. Chelsea started posing; she smiled with and without teeth, she pouted her lips, she even flashed a peace sign but after all of it her shoulders slouched and her eyebrows dropped. She sighed angrily and marched her way down stairs.

This was so frustrating.

Looking in the mirror was a pointless not to mention self-esteem lowering. No matter how hard she tried it was useless. She couldn't make herself look any different. It didn't make a difference if she put make-up on or a bow in her hair. She was still the plain old, decent looking, Chelsea. Well the problem was, she didn't want to look decent. She wanted to look pretty. Maybe, in hindsight, it wasn't a good idea to head straight for the mirror after a day of work but still…

Ever since Cathy decided to bring up the subject of dating and boyfriends and whatnot she hasn't been able to disregards it. Every time she tried the subject found a way to make a comeback. It plagued her mind every second and the more she thought about it the worse she felt about herself. Self-consciousness stuck to her like lightning. If a male even glimpsed at her would begin to fluster and make a fool of herself. She remembered when she accidentally knocked a plate out of Drew's hand. She apologized relentlessly and frantically, bending down to pick up the shattered shards. Drew also bent down and helped but it all went downhill when she realized their faces were inches apart. All that she recalled was starting to hyperventilate and falling on her butt. After that everything was just a massive blur.

She definitely freaked out though.

Chelsea shuddered at the memory. She knew this memory would always haunt her till the day she died. It was by far the embarrassing five minutes of her life. The dark-skinned woman soon found herself in front of the living sofa. She abruptly plopped her rump on the soft cotton and huffed angrily. She crossed her arms and ignored the desperate muffled sounds coming from above.

The time for saving Shadow would come later.

The T.V. in front of her flickered on unexpectedly. Chelsea blinked. How did this happen? A squeak was heard from her right and she turned her head.

Sonic sat on another couch that was made of leather, hence the squeaking. His arm was out and in his hand was the remote. His thumb hit another button until he retracted his arm. In his other hand was a red lollipop, which Chelsea had no idea how he got it. A happy smile stretched on his muzzle. A _very_ happy one.

Not only was Shadow trapped in the air, helpless, he had a piece of candy in his hand. One of the things that seemed sacred in this house. Sonic popped the sugary ball into his mouth and let his tongue swirl around it. He swallowed the juice and ripped it from his mouth making a 'pop' sound. Of course he would have to give Silver money later but, it sure wasn't going to be his. Now that he thought about it, none of them had any.

_I guess I'm taking a trip to mom's wallet today._

The dark-skinned human cocked her head to the side. Why was he so happy? Her eyebrows then furrowed together and her nose scrunched up.

_There's nothing happy about today._

Chelsea sighed loudly, hoping to draw attention to herself. She looked at Sonic from her peripheral vision and huffed when he didn't move from his spot. She sighed, again, this time, a little louder. Chelsea gaped at the azure hedgehog when he took the remote and turned the volume up. The sounds of Gumball and Darwin almost deafened her but she was too stunned to care. She took a different approach this time and said in a sassy manner, "Uhh, hello?" Her hand waved.

A growl came from the cerulean male. He muted the program before raising eyebrow with an annoyed expression. His was only matched by her.

_What is this woman's problem?_

Sonic glanced at the T.V. before gluing themselves back to his mother. "Uhh, don't you see me trying to watch T.V.?" He turned his attention back to the show and unmated it. "Rude," he muttered and put the lollipop back in his mouth.

After a minute the whites of his eyes widened. Sonic immediately took the candy out of his mouth and gasped silently.

Did he really just say that out loud?

He dared himself to look at her. Slowly his eyes traveled to his left and Sonic instantly grimaced. Chelsea had that look, that very same look he feared all his life. It was the same expression she wore when he, supposedly, had an attitude, according to her. But this time it looked a bit different but it was subtle. It was like her expression when Shadow mumbled curses towards her mixed with when Silver's clumsiness kicked in. it was hard to explain but that wasn't on his mind at this moment. Instead, Sonic turned the television off and cautiously made his way next to her. He smiled nervously and asked, "So…what do you need mother dearest?"

Oh he was in for it.

Chelsea pinched his ear earning a yelp from the blue furry. She tugged on it while making her speech.

"Sonic the Hedgehog, did you just talk to me like that?"

Tug.

"I-I'm sorry mom. You can let go now."

"Tell me my ears deceived me."

Tug.

"I come home from work after having a bad day and you have the nerve to talk to me like that?"

Tug.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Tug.

"That was so disrespectful, I don't even know what to do."

Tug.

"I mean, who taught you how to talk like that young man?"

Tug.

"I said I was sorry mom. Now can you please let go? Please? My ear feels like it's about to fall off."

"You're lucky I even like you."

Tug.

"Very lucky."

After one final pull Chelsea, reluctantly, let go of the poor hedgehog's ear. Sonic, relieved to have his ear back, covered it with his hand and massaged it to decrease the sharp pain running through it. With his teeth gritted together he painfully asked, "I'm sorry okay but that issue aside what's bothering you mom?" Sonic straightened up when a sad sigh escaped his mother's lips. His brows rose up in question, patiently waiting for a response.

"Do you think I need to start looking for a boyfriend?"

That question seemed to stop time itself. Sonic sat there, stunned at the question. His wide eyes focused solely on her face and he looked frozen. His mouth hung ajar and unknowingly his fingers dug into the couch cushions. The thoughts in his mind were set on fire and burned till nothing left was there. That was just it. His mind was blank. Nothing filled it. It was as if the question not only didn't process but it erased all the other things occupying his brain.

Seconds turned into minutes and soon the whole house was deadly silent. The slight humming of Silver's bracelets was the only sound and that even drowned in silence until someone broke the ice.

"WHAT!?"

And that someone was Silver.

The metallic colored hedgehog stood up, from his bean bag, with wide eyes. He ran down the stairs and soon stood in front of the two. The teal aura around the other, who was previously in the air, faded away. The ebony hedgehog somehow defied gravity for a second. He looked down to his doom and muttered,

"Oh shit."

Down, Shadow fell. A deep yet terrifying scream came from him as the air rushed past his ears. The bad thing about this was the glass table wasn't even three seconds away but it seemed miles away. Although he knew he wouldn't die from the impact, it would still hurt, badly. Shadow knew not what to do at this point. He scrunched himself in a ball and closed his eyes actually feeling real fear for what was to come. Shadow silently prayed for some miracle to happen. He hoped that a bed would just appear under him and everything would be okay. But he knew the chances of that happening were about zero to one. **_There is no mistake._** His ear flickered as he heard his Chelsea, Sonic and Silver yell out his name. It didn't fix anything though.

The three watched in horror as the dark hedgehog fall. They stood there, frozen. No one knew what to do. Silver was to stunned to use his powers and Sonic and Chelsea were powerless. There was nothing they could do.

But Sonic wouldn't take any of it.

Without a second thought the blue male jumped on the couch with such speed, the others didn't even realize he had moved. He proceeded to then leap over the glass center table. It almost looked as if it were in slow motion. Sonic stretched his arms out at the right moment and let the ebony furry fall into his arms. He brought his legs in and waited to hit the ground.

The two hedgehogs landed with a dull thud. Shadow crimson orbs were revealed and his sight was a bit blurry. His eyelids opened and closed multiple times before staying open. Wasn't he supposed to feel like every bone in his body was broken by now? He did feel a slight ache in back but other than that he was fine. He at least expected broken ribs. Shadow took in his surroundings. He saw something peach and blue move from beside him. He looked to Sonic rubbing his head with one hand as the other propped him up.

Ah, so that's who saved him. But, how?

Shadow propped himself up with his hands and was soon bombarded with questions from Chelsea and Silver. He waved them off before standing up. He stretched out his back and then asked a question that baffled him.

"How did you help me such agility and speed?"

The dark hedgehog may have not seen his fall but he was smart enough to know there was no humanly possible way someone could save him unless you were Jesus Christ himself. But here he was, standing in front of the only people he ever knew, unharmed.

God answered prayer in the most mysterious ways huh?

Shadow held out a hand to Sonic, which he gladly accepted. He stood on his feet wobbly. He stood up straight and rubbed the back of his head.

"I-I really don't know Shads. I just…well…I just did it. It was all really a blur."

"Are you alright?"

Sonic lifted his head surprised at the question. Wasn't he supposed to be the one asking him that? "Aww Shady, are you worried about lil ol' me," he mocked shyly. Sonic blushed teasingly pretended to hide his face in his shoulder. He laughed when Shadow punched his shoulder. He rubbed the sore spot and winked. "I'm okay though. Thanks for asking."

Shadow eyed him before nodding. He curtly said, "You're welcome and thank you for saving me." He was still confused on how he was able to catch him with such speed but merely shrugged it off. He had more pressing matters anyway.

Like a certain someone and dating.

"What's this I hear about a boyfriend mother?"

All eyes turned on the 22 year old. Chelsea flinched under their gaze. What was she thinking? She should've never said anything. Maybe it was her anger and embarrassment that screwed up her mind enough to even mention the subject to them. Or maybe she was just stupid. Although she was more towards the first phrase she still should've reconsidered. When you are surrounded by three teenage males who are, more so, over-protective of any, close and only, female relative in their lives it's best not to mention anything of the sort. Especially if you're talking along the lines of basically giving yourself to another male.

Hadn't she learned anything from all those fanfictions?

Chelsea pouted her lips sheepishly and looked at the seams of her shirt which seemed rather intriguing at the moment. Seconds of silence seemed like years. The tension that was built showed no signs of toppling any time soon.

_Damn my big mouth._

The young woman's head was bowed to the floor and her fingers, daintily, played the ends of the, red cotton, t-shirt she wore. Still she said nothing. Heat rushed up to her cheeks and she was sure if she said anything she would die from embarrassment on the spot.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

Silver's harsh tone caused her to move her eyes up. As of now she appeared to have the same stance as a five year old that just got caught taking a piece of candy before dinner. But wasn't she the parent? Why was she cowering before her children? They were the ones that were supposed to be doing that. This whole thing was backwards! She didn't have to explain anything to them. She was the one who brought it up so she could it shut it down anytime she wanted to.

The sudden boost of courage shot through her veins causing her to move hold up her head confidently. Chelsea looked at each of them directly in the yes and immediately regretted it. She felt all that courage run away into the deepest parts of her body and tremble in fear. Who was she kidding? She wasn't that strong. Sonic, Shadow, and Silver's glare not only intimidated her but scared her tremendously. It was the kind of fright she felt when she introduced her first boyfriend to her dad.

Oh, it was bad.

Still, she had to answer the question whether or not she liked it. Wasn't this feeling of having to always answer someone supposed to disappear when your parents don't live with you anymore? Maybe she could try to steer the conversation away from the topic she, oh so stupidly, mentioned before.

"Uh…hey Sonic, I think you-"

"Stop avoiding the subject of the matter mom."

"Well why do I even need to tell you about it?"

"You're the one who asked," Shadow retorted for the blue hedgehog.

_Well if they don't want to know about Sonic's power that's fine with me._

Chelsea huffed, the courage slowly seeping back, "How'd you even hear anything Shadow?" Said hedgehog raised an annoyed brow. "Mother, I might've been dangling in the air over a glass table with my mouth closed forcefully but my ears still worked through the whole ordeal. Now that's aside, tell me, why would you even think about such a thing?"

"Well when you're a 22 year old, single woman, emphasis on single, you tend to get kind of lonely. Why are you guys so worked up over it anyway? It's not like I'm going to get married any time soon." Chelsea then uttered, "Unfortunately," to herself but forgot she was dealing with three hedgehogs who had super-sensitive hearing.

"That's we're afraid of. The 'marrying' part," Sonic exclaimed. "I don't even think having a boyfriend is worth it. All they just do is bring pointless drama into your life." The azure hedgehog crossed his arms remembering all the soap operas he watched with her.

Silver nodded, agreeing with the statement. He put a hand on his hip and added, "Yeah. Next thing you know you're pregnant, homeless, unmarried and you find out your boyfriend's gay. It happens _all the time_ mom."

Were they serious?

As hard as she tried she could not see any traces of humor in any of their expression. They were dead serious. As surprising as it was she couldn't blame them. After all, they had basically grown up off of T.V. Chelsea had to a giggle at them despite their scowls. This was too funny. "Honey, that usually doesn't happen," she then put a finger on her chin in thought, "Well at least it's not supposed to happen often." Chelsea gasped and then cursed mentally when she saw the three expressions turn into horror.

_Again with my mouth. Why can't I ever just shut up?_

"B-but don't worry," she waved her hands frantically, "I promise that won't happen. I'm celibate anyway." The heat in her cheeks rose to unbearable temperatures. She was already saying stuff too personal for them to know. Surprisingly, this didn't seem to falter them in any way. Green, red and yellow irises hardened along with their features.

"That's what they always say in the beginning. But trust me, when you get there you won't be able to resist your urges," Shadow seethed with narrowed eyes. He was disgusted with images of her and some scumbag running in his head.

Something in Chelsea's chest poked her. What did he know about urges? Was there something she should know about? Was some prostitute running around in her house? She raised her eyebrows and immediately had a stern face but before she could say anything Sonic piped up.

"No offense but I could see you giving into someone in an instant. When you're attracted to someone you kind of find it hard to not to be submissive when you're…umm…what's the word?"

"Turned on," Silver suggested.

Sonic snapped his fingers towards the silver furry and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"No problem."

Why were they talking about this so freely? And how did they know what the meaning 'turned on' was? Chelsea suddenly had the suspicion that she was giving the hedgehogs too much freedom. Maybe she should go through their history on all their electronics. But getting back on topic, she felt hurt by Sonic's accusation. She was not submissive. She was stronger than that.

"Excuse me but I didn't know I was being giving the sex talk by my own children."

"Mother, please don't say that word," Shadow suddenly said.

Chelsea was slightly taken aback from the statement. All of this and he didn't want to hear the word, "Sex?" Her eyes widened when all of their ears slightly folded back. "Yes, that word, so please don't say it again. Such a sinful word," this time Silver said. "What's wrong with the word sex? You guys were just giving me a lecture about it so I don't see what your problem is."

"It just sounds weird coming from you," Sonic shifted uncomfortably.

Oh she knew why. She felt exactly the same whenever her parents said the word but she just wanted to use it to her advantage. She smugly put her hand on her hips and raised her nose. "Well that's your problem because if I want to say the word sex I'll say it."

"Mother please-"

"Sex."

"Mom-"

"Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex."

"Just because I said your submissive doesn't mean you have to get all angry about it," the azure hedgehog shouted quite annoyed. He covered his ears from her chanting trying to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling she forced upon them.

"I am _not_ angry-" Chelsea exhaled heavily through her nose before repeating her sentence, "I am not angry." Oh, she was so angry and quite hurt he said that. She crossed her arms. "I'm just a little offended that you would even say that. What if-" she stopped. Chelsea eyed them dirtily and afterwards huffed. She was more than peeved and she wanted nothing more than to ditch the conversation and lock herself in her room. "You know what," she threw her hands in the air, "I'm done. I don't even know why I brought it up. I don't need to explain myself to you three." Chelsea, promptly, turned on her heels and walked away.

"Excuse me, mom, but we're not done talking about this," Sonic's parental tone was enough to stop her but she still held the irritated attitude. The three humanoids stepped closer to the fuming female. They also were a bit miffed at her attitude. If they couldn't have one with her, it was only fair if she followed the same rule.

"Why do you guys even care? It's not like once I have a boyfriend I'm going to forget about you if that's what you're worried about," Chelsea's voice rose dangerously.

"We care because you are _our _mom," Silver said with his volume almost matching hers. He couldn't bear the thought of…

"We are the ones who had you first so it's only fair that you stay ours. It's just how things work," Sonic pointed looking at her straight in the eye. He tried to choose his words carefully trying not come off the wrong way.

"Wait, what do you-" Chelsea started but soon her question was answered by Shadow.

"You are ours and _ours_ only. No one else can have you because they wouldn't treat you the way you should be treated. You don't need a partner anyway. You already have three men in your life." The azure and metallic colored hedgehogs grunted, agreeing fully with him. They couldn't deal with the thought of losing her to some other male. No, she just needed them to live. She was doing fine before and she can still be fine afterwards. It was pointless and stupid in their eyes. It would just bring her heart break in the end and they didn't feel like dealing with a depressed 22 year old woman.

Talk about possessive.

Chelsea couldn't believe her ears. It was kind of scary how serious they were about this whole owning thing yet heart-warming in its own twisted sort of way. She loved the fact that her children cared about her so much but, this had to be unhealthy. They literally growled if she mentioned anything about a guy that wasn't them. And what did he mean by men? More like boys. Chelsea crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg. Her mouth hung ajar for a few seconds a she wore an expression full of confusion and fright. She didn't bother to hide the latter.

"Why are you guys so possessive over me," she proceeded to ask bluntly, "I don't know if it's a hedgehog thing or something but it needs to stop or at least decrease in strength because sooner or later I'm going to get married. First of all, I'm not yours and, rests assure you, I'm not going to let my partner own me either. I belong to know one but…" she trailed off letting them answer.

"God," they mumbled, defeated, with anger still sparking in their tone.

"Thank you. And second of all; I'm not an object. You can't just say I'm yours to keep. It's flattering and all but, you know you it's not right." A smile cracked on her lips as she stood in front of them. Chelsea kissed a cheek on all of them. "Sweet but wrong."

Sonic, Shadow and Silver all groaned causing the young mother to roll her eyes. They muttered apologies that they didn't solely agree with and glumly sat down on the couch muttering things she couldn't hear. Chelsea only giggled at their behavior. "Oh, hush up all of you. You don't have to worry about anything yet anyway." She sadly smiled as she turned away from them. "It's not like I could actually attract a guy anyway," she whispered to herself.

Ah, yes. The sole reason why she asked that very first question. After all the shish kabob she finally admitted the real reason why she asked the question in the first place. Chelsea played with the end of her black braid and dejectedly walked to another couch. She curled up, at the farthest end of the couch, away from the hedgehogs. Even thinking about it made her depressed.

"What do you mean by that," Sonic voiced out.

They had heard her. Chelsea inwardly grimaced. She truly couldn't keep her mouth shut couldn't she? Of course at that very moment she forgot she lived with super hedgehogs whose senses were five times higher than the average human's.

"Forget I said anything. Really." She wanted to shoot down the topic before they launched themselves in another talk. The subject was too embarrassing.

"But didn't you just say that you couldn't attract anyone?" Shadow raised a brow for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day.

Chelsea's head turned towards them, her nose scrunched up in annoyance. "Well if you knew what I meant then why did you ask me," she snapped. This was getting annoying. She already went through the sex talk with them she didn't need to go through any other type of talk.

"Well isn't someone snappy today."

"Silver," she warned.

"Sorry."

A sigh escaped her lips. She was tired and a bit hungry. And honestly, she really wanted to cuddle up into the all three hedgehog's arms and sleep. Their fur in general would make her fall asleep the moment she touched it. She could seriously care less if was still considered midday. Everyone needed a nap once in awhile.

"Just drop it guys," she yawned, "it doesn't matter anyway. I'm really tired so can we please not talk about it." Chelsea laid her head on one of the couch pillows and still kept her curled position. Her sudden drowsiness had the hedgehogs' curiosity but nonetheless they didn't speak a word. Maybe it was the pill.

The mother's arm suddenly stretched out and her hand opened and closed. "Could one of you get me the blanket from the guest room please? I'm too lazy walk."

"Here, why don't I just carry you to your room?"

"No Silver, I can't let you to do that."

"It's okay. I'll use my powers. Don't worry it's not a hassle. I would feel better if you slept there anyway."

Not having the energy to deny Chelsea just nodded her head. A second later she felt her body lift up into the air. Her eyelids suddenly felt heavier. The hum from Silver's bracelets sounded as a soft lullaby and soon she felt herself fighting to stay awake.

Sonic and Shadow watched as Silver and Chelsea disappeared into the upstairs room. They looked at each other before standing up and following after them.

As the dark-skinned woman felt her, barely conscience, form touch the bedding sheets she instantly grabbed them and pulled them over her shoulder. The cold sting only lasted for a few moments before the warmth started to take place. She snuggled into the pillow and sighed happily. Her face scrunched up in confusion as she felt the bed sink down on one side. Was someone on the bed? She then felt two others. With her mind on the brink of sleep Chelsea still kept her eyes shut. More warmth took surrounded her body and she found herself pushing her face into what felt like the softest pillow in the universe. Finally her fight to stay awake ceased and she felt her mind give up conscience. But she could have sworn she heard the synchronizing of three voice whisper,

"You're the most beautiful woman on Earth."

But again, maybe it was her subconscious trying to increase her self-confidence.

He slammed his fist on the desk.

These low-life forms couldn't do anything right. You give them one simple task and they claim it to be a challenge. They made him want to release his children upon them. His children would eat them in a second but, he needed them. It was sickening how he had to succumb to these waste of life and work with them but they were the only way to his get his tickets for the emeralds. They would also serve as great warriors for him. Maybe, perhaps, he would have to tweak the agreement these so called scientists had with him but that was nothing short of easy. A few death threats and push and a shove and they'd see it his way.

A malicious chuckle escaped his lips. The being darkly smiled at the thought of any mistreatment set upon them. It was humorous to say the least…well to him anyway. But as quickly as it came the smile went away.

He needed those life forms. But the goddamn human wouldn't answer anything. Oh how he hated those things. They were worse than the beings in this spaceship. If he could he would release his fury on the planet the bore the human race. Those good for nothing, skin crawling, bottom feeders did nothing but make fools of themselves. If he weren't so weak Earth would've been destroyed ages ago. Unfortunately it was either take over this space ship and obtain the life forms or destroy the planet.

He wasn't going to discard any chance of collecting the emeralds. So after taking over this retched place he was forced to undergo a change in his appearance. He hated it. He hated it so much.

A lot of hate going on, huh?

There was no other way to avoid this change but if he wanted to rejuvenate he needed to deal with it. He would rather eat the toxic waste of the vilest creature in the galaxies but he didn't have a choice. They called themselves Mobians. At least that's what he last heard. He had taken the form of a hedgehog, something 5,000 years. He hardly remembered how to walk. What was so convenient about it? Floating seemed much better.

"P-professor D-Darren?"

_Damn messenger better have good news before I rip his head off. _

Today seemed more of, you could say, a dark day for the ebony hedgehog who stepped out of the shadows.

* * *

**SunLove:** _Yay! A cliff hanger!_

**Sonic:** _Umm sorry to burst your bubble but I wouldn't qualify that as a cliff hanger._

**Shadow:** _It's more like you left the readers wanting to know who the mysterious hedgehog is._

**SunLove:** _...so a kinda-cliff hanger?_

**Silver:** _You guys are so stupid._

**Sonic: **_Excuse me Mr. I-almost-broke-every-bone-in-Shadow's-body_

**Silver: **_IT WAS A FREAKIN' ACCIDENT._

**Shadow: **_Where's mother when you need her._

**SunLove: **_Yeah, about that whole mother thing, she told me to tell you not to call her that in public._

**Shadow:** _It's official. I hate everyone._

**SunLove: **_Jeez, I was just joking. don't go all emo on me. I still need you in, like, every chapter of this story._

Thank you for reading. **R&R**

**_~God Bless You~_**


	14. Happy Birthday

**Author's Note:** _I'm warning you, near the end of this chapter, there's a bit of cursing. I'm sorry this chapter is a bit lengthy but, oh well. It makes up for my absence. And remember...God loves you!_

All spelling and grammatical errors are my fault.

_**Sonic and everyone related to him belongs to SEGA. Chelsea belongs to me. The two versions of the "Happy Birthday" song don't belong to me either.**_

* * *

Chapter 14: Happy Birthday...

The alarm clock blared that sound; every, sleeping, person's nightmare. After only a second the button was slammed down by chocolate brown hand. Unfortunately for the alarm clock, it was not able to achieve rudely awakening its owner. Instead, the person who shut the contraption up was smiling her heart out.

Wait-what?

Chelsea, the proud mother of three hedgehogs, was already up at 5 a.m. sharp. Her eyes sparked with unimaginable happiness and her body seemed to radiate with joy.

That's not normal.

Hastily Chelsea uncovered her body from the sheets. She stood on the side of her bed, already fully clothed as if she had been waiting for the alarm clock to ring so her day could officially start. The young woman carefully walked down the hallway, trying her hardest to not make a creek. Chelsea cautiously poked her head in three different rooms. In each bedroom was one, soundly sleeping, hedgehog. With a bigger smile than she had before she nodded. She tiptoed her way down the stairs and grabbed her purse. Chelsea than opened the door and softly shut it. And off she went to the grocery store.

As her car parked in the near vacant parking lot, (Nobody goes to the store at 5 in the morning), she heard a buzzing sound come from her purse. She cocked her head to the side, for a moment, wondering who in their right mind would call her at 5 a.m.? But, who in their right mind would go to the store at the crack of dawn? Chelsea shrugged and picked up the white phone. With a pat on the touch screen she placed the phone in between her ear and shoulder.

"Hello," she spoke while getting out of the car. She heard a light yawn on the other end.

"Mmm hello mommy."

Her expression brightened. "Hello Silvy. Why are you awake sweetie?" She walked to the entrance of the 24 hour grocery store. "I heard you open the door open and close and," he paused to yawn, "and you weren't in your room. Where are you? You hate waking up in the morning."

Chelsea giggled at the true statement. As far as she knew, this was going to be the first and last time she ever woke up this early, voluntarily. She shook her head. He couldn't know what she was doing. It had to be a surprise. "Silvy just go back to sleep. I'll tell you when I get back. You must still be tired. I did make you stay up till two."

She heard a whine come from the phone. "B-but I'm not-," Silver yawned loudly and heavily earning a chuckle from his mother, "I'm not tired. I'm just…fagtued?"

"_Fatigued_ honey. Fatigued. And trust me, you're tired. You've yawned, like, five times in the past thirty seconds. Now go to sleep."

"But mommy!" Silver whined trying to use the magic word to soften her up.

"But Silver!" Chelsea mocked.

"Mom!"

"Now Silver."

"Fine."

"Love you baby."

"Love you too," the silver furry dully murmured.

The dark-skinned lady ended the call and put her phone back in her purse. Chelsea walked inside the store and met the cold air. She shivered slightly before walking to the bakery area. As she walked endless rows of cookies, cakes and pies surrounded her. Her eyes sparkled with amazement as a dribble of drool hung from her bottom lips. Her heart pumped with want and her fingers were itching to just touch the fattening items.

To be honest, she was a major sugar addict.

She tried to overcome the addiction but alas, it never left her. It was a permanent thorn in her side yet a blissful melody in the air. It both calmed her and frustrated her at the same time. She didn't want to gain weight but that didn't mean she exactly wanted to stop eating candy. Chelsea always gave the candy speech to the hedgies. Once she caught Sonic with a bag of caramel candies and gave him this long dialect on how sugar rots your teeth and makes you fat when she had a huge stash of sour patch kids under her bed.

She was a hypocrite, so what?

Chelsea shook her head furiously. She had stay on her list. She couldn't get off track. She was only here for a couple items and then she would go back to the house and prepare before the boys woke up. With a nod of satisfaction she looked for white frosted sugar cookies.

Okay, so maybe she didn't follow exactly what the list said but that didn't matter. She only went off by ten other things. As long as the hedgies would be happy with what she got that's all that mattered, right? The Jolly Ranchers were only for them and so were the Hersey's kisses. But that didn't mean she couldn't sneak a piece or two. They won't even notice.

As the young mother hung decorations on the walls she hungrily munched on several kisses. Chelsea happily stepped off the chair and observed her work. The first level of the house was decorated in white, black and blue decorations and streamers. Balloons of all different colors were tied to everything with a handle. On the living room table was three different bowls of candies and then there were four more on the dining room table. There was a huge tray of apples and in the middle was a box of caramel. The boys' favorite.

A feeling of giddiness pounded through her and a squeal escaped her lips. Chelsea suddenly twirled about the room with her arms stretched out. She felt light hearted. When she stopped she hugged herself and before she could stop another squeal came out.

It had been one full year.

One, warm, fuzzy, blood sweating, year since she received the hedgies. Technically she truly had Shadow for one year but from what she learned from them, they actually were 'born' on the same day. All three of them and, it fell on this day. Sonic had told her that Shadow was a year older and he and Silver were the same age; with the ebony hedgehog being 17 and the twins being 16. (They're turning that age today) Chelsea still didn't fully know if they knew they were biogenetically created but she didn't intend on telling them soon. She wasn't looking forward to their reactions. Though she was pretty sure Shadow knew because of all those nightmares he has but she could never really tell.

But today wasn't the day to ponder on the bad things. Today was a day of joy and mirth. A day where they would thank God for adding another year to their wonderful lives. Chelsea looked at the clock. It's lime green illuminated numbers read 7:38. Impatience took its toll on her. She bounced her leg rapidly. Oh how she wanted to just jump on each and every one of them and scream 'Happy Birthday'. She just wanted them to wake up right now so they could start the celebration. But that would be cruel. It was her own fault anyway. She was the one who kept them up till two a.m. She sighed. Chelsea flipped on the television and flipped to the Nickelodeon channel. SpongeBob's laughter burst through the living room. The young mother punched the down button for the volume. A nervous laugh came from her.

…

Another glance at the clock; 7:40.

Forget being cruel. She was a mother. It was her job.

With that in her mind Chelsea darted for the stairs. She went to the first room she saw and headed straight for the bed. She stopped right at the edge of the bed and observed the sleeping form that blended with the blue sheets. She climbed on the bed and laid right next to the azure hedgehog.

Sonic's face twitched from the sudden movement. He felt something poke his back. He growled in irritation and flipped sides with his eyes still closed. Contempt flowed through his body when the poking stopped. Thinking he was at peace Sonic tried to let sleep take over his body. Something poked his nose. He exhaled heavily through his nose as his nostrils flared. Slowly cerulean eyelids rose. Sonic's breath hitched when he saw his face was mere centimeters from Chelsea's. Out of surprise he jumped back falling off the bed.

_What the what? _

It was too early for this. Chelsea's laughter made the blue hedgehog's eyebrows drop in sheer annoyance. He grumpily got up. Sonic stood hunched over. His forest green eyes glared daggers at her, ones that would put Shadow's to shame. "Mom, what are you doing in my bed?" he said not bothering to hide the evident irritation. He was quite surprised when his mother only sat on her knees and smiled brightly at him. A yelp came from the azure furry as Chelsea leaped at him and tackled him to the ground. The ecstatic 22 year old nuzzled his stomach.

Sonic, who was extremely uncomfortable, tried to push her off. "Uhh mom?" he questioned. Chelsea's lifted her head. "Guess whose birthday it is?" Before he could respond she answered her own question for him. "Yours," she excitedly exclaimed. Sonic's eyes glazed over with confusion until it transformed into excitement.

He'd completely forgotten. Well, not really, he was just too tired to care.

"Oh yeah," he replied dazed. Chelsea nodded furiously and kissed him on his cheek before getting off him. They both dusted themselves and looked at each other. Sonic, awkwardly, stood there not knowing what do under Chelsea's stare. Her brown eyes glanced over at the door before coming back the navy hedgehog. After a few seconds she gaped at him and raised her shoulders with palms towards the ceiling.

"Well aren't you going to get ready for the day?"

Sonic's ungloved finger wagged. His lips formed an 'o'. "Oh yeah," he pointed to the door, "Why don't I go do that." He turned on his heels walking clumsily toward the white door, drowsiness still evident.

"Oh and Speedy."

Said hedgehog looked over his shoulder rubbing the crust out of his eyes. "Yeah mom?"

"Happy birthday sweetie," Chelsea softly said.

Sonic smiled tiredly. He yawned and stretched his back. He gave his signature thumbs up and said, "Thanks." After that he left the room.

_Well that went better than I expected. _

Chelsea happily skipped out the room and into the next victim's. Again, she stopped at the edge of black sheets which were red trimmed. She folded her hands under her cheek and stared at the ebony hedgehog in mock awe. Surprisingly Shadow was the one who had a habit of snoring loudly. She always thought it would be Sonic.

She read too many fanfictions.

Deciding on an approach to harshly wake up the hedgehog a light bulb lit above her head. She pointed a finger in the air before an evil smirk formed on her lips. Chelsea took ten steps back. She locked her eyes on the lump in the sheets and charged for it with full speed. The young woman jumped in the air and landed on Shadow severely waking him up.

The ebony hedgehog shouted revelation, his voice taking a high pitch than usual. He immediately sat up. His ruby red eyes were wide with alarm as he looked to his left and right repeatedly. Shadow's adrenaline shot through the roof and he breathed harshly. Laughter sounded in front of him. His eyes shot towards Chelsea who laughed crazily. She held her sides with her head down. One hand covered her mouth.

"That…was…great," huffed gasping for air.

A million and one profanities flowed through the crimson streaked hedgehog's head. He crossed his arms and glared at her with malevolence. "What the hell did you do that for," he lowly said with a snarl. His temper rose each second he saw her laugh.

Chelsea almost said something about his words before deciding against. She would let it slide this once. Besides, she was too busy trying to keep her laughter in. "I'm-I'm sorry Shady. It-it's just that," she took in gulps of air before continuing, "Silver was right."

"And what was Silver right about?"

"You really do sound like a girl when you're scared." Her laughter returned but this time it turned silent. She bowed her head and her shoulder shook.

Shadow didn't find this funny. Not one bit. It was early in the morning and he was woken up so rudely only to be laughed at. This wasn't the _least_ bit funny. The ebony hedgehog pushed Chelsea off his legs and got off the bed. He looked down on her, his lips pursed together. His eyes could slice anything they looked at right about now. "You gave me a fuc-" he inhaled and exhaled heavily before continuing, "you gave me a freakin' heart attack mother. I don't find this funny. How would you feel if I suddenly jumped on you while you were sleeping? I thought I was getting attacked." His eye twitched when she just buried her head in his pillow, her body shaking with uncontrollable laughter. Shadow threw his hands in the air and started walking away from the bed.

"I am done," he muttered. His nostrils flared when dark arms wrapped around his chest. He struggled to pry them off. "Get off me mother. I'm serious Chelsea."

Chelsea only held onto him tighter. Shadow found it hard to breathe. "Get off," exclaimed. The dark-skinned woman let go. Shadow rubbed his chest and glowered at her. He pointed to his torso. "Look what you did; you messed up my chest fur." She rolled her eyes. "Really, your chest fur? It's your birthday and you're worried about your chest fur?" Chelsea shook her head. Before Shadow could object she kissed his cheek and said, "Happy birthday grumpy." She kneed him in his butt before quickly skipping out of room.

"Sonic was so much easier than him and he's not a morning person," she grumbled to herself. The thoughts left her mind when she arrived at the edge of the last bed. She observes the sleeping form in the covers. Chelsea bent down and inwardly released her fan-girl scream. This was just too cute.

Silver's muzzle snuggled into a white fluffy play dog. His legs were curled up against his chest as his mouth opened and closed. His barely audible snore was the only thing that made noise. A faint blush also tainted his cheeks. Chelsea held her cheeks in her hands as she squealed. She couldn't wake him up. He was too cute like this. She placed a hand on the quills at the top of his head and softly ran her fingers through it, carefully avoiding any sharp pricks. Her hand immediately retracted when a soft moan came from him. Silver's eyelids fluttered open and dazedly locked sights with Chelsea.

He propped himself on one hand and rubbed the other. Silver looked around the room before, once again, looking at his mother. "Good morning mommy." He yawned before setting the fluffy dog aside.

Chelsea thought she would faint.

"Good morning baby," she said trying to keep her composure, "How was your sleep?"

"Good but why-" Silver eyes widened suddenly. Chelsea cracked a smile when she realized his breakthrough. A whopping grin almost split the hedgehog's face in half. Silver leapt off the bed and playfully attacked her. They both fell on the ground laughing.

"Guess whose birthday it is," Silver eagerly questioned.

Chelsea pointed at him and together they shouted, "This guys!" the metallic colored anthro jumped up and down and happily skipped around his mother. He kept shouting "happy birthday to me" and giggling childishly. Chelsea soon joined him not caring about the weird stares they both received from the other two. Silver suddenly stopped and hugged her tightly. She returned the embrace and kissed him on his lips. (Mother/son) "Happy birthday Silvy."

Silver let go and thanked her. He proudly headed for the bathroom. He rolled his eyes when Sonic made a puking face and Shadow muttered "Momma's boy."

"Shut up. It's my birthday and I can do whatever the hell I want," he nonchalantly said and closed the bathroom door behind him. Sonic and Shadow gawked at the door.

"Did he just say what I think he said?" Sonic shakily asked.

Shadow crossed his arms and grunted. "Our birthday has indeed gone to his head. He better not get that cocky around me again. I already have to deal with you."

"Excuse me, I'm right here."

"So?"

Unbeknownst to them Silver scraped his tongue with his tooth brush trying to get rid of the bad taste the 'h-word'. Never in his life had he used the word. It tasted so bitter yet he felt overwhelming pride when he said it. He bowed his head and over-dramatically cried out, "Forgive me God. I didn't know what I was doing. I'm just a poor, helpless, child living with two big meanies for brothers. Please help my aching soul." And in a millisecond he happily smiled and looked at himself in the mirror.

"And guess whose birthday it is. Mine," he happily chirped.

"Wow."

That was all the three hedgehogs could say. The fattening items that surrounded the bottom floor made them drool a puddle.

"You didn't have to do this mother," Shadow said in awe. The countless numbers of Jolly Ranchers caught his eye.

Chelsea smirked proudly. "Oh, I know but, I wanted to. A birthday isn't a birthday unless you celebrate it. And plus, I couldn't resist passing up the chance to have gallons of candy in house. Anyway," she stated pointing to the bowls, "help yourselves. It's a free for all. I won't give you a speech or anything about the sugar. I could care less how much you eat."

"So if I eat that whole bowl of Reece's Pieces, I won't get in trouble or anything," Sonic asked already bouncing in anticipation.

"No sir."

Right when she was done talking they ran towards their favorite candies. Shadow forced himself to walk slowly and diligently but anyone could tell he was eager to reach the bowl of hard candy. Chelsea rolled her eyes at him and kicked his back. "Shadow, stop acting so silly and dig your head in it before I eat." The dark hedgehog just grunted at her but speedily walked towards the candy.

Silver's head popped out of the Butterfinger bowl causing some of them to fall out. He couldn't believe this. Here he was eating something his mother despised in front of her and she didn't even care. The silver furry moved over to the lollipop bowl. She even got all his favorites! It was miracle. "Today is _the_ best day of my life," he whispered, joy radiating from each word. He, once again, dunked his head in the bowl.

The azure hedgehog, which was next to Silver, raised his head from the stash of Hershey kisses. Chocolate covered his muzzle and he somehow managed to get some on his ears. Though, Sonic could care less where chocolate ended up. He took one gulp of air before his head returned into the bowl. His ear twitched when he heard his darker look alike snort, "How am I related to such pig." Sonic stuck his ring finger up. The three agreed amongst themselves to use the finger to symbolize the middle one since they all got caught using it. Chelsea didn't know what it meant but Shadow sure did. Angry, but not finding a good comeback, Shadow pulled the blue hedgehogs tail. He smirked when a howl came from the victim and he quickly bailed the scene before anything could be pinned on him.

"Uh, guys?" Sonic, Shadow and Silver looked at Chelsea and cocked their heads in question. "Sorry for interrupting you," she apologized, "but I have presents waiting to opened." Chelsea held up a golden box with a purple ribbon. Wasting no time the three birthday boys strolled to the couch. They each grabbed a handful of candy before they left.

The four sat on the couches. Chelsea who sat on a separate couch had different colored and sized boxes behind her. She handed each of them a present. They almost started opening the neatly wrapped boxes but she quickly stopped them. "Hold on!" The hedgehogs looked at her quizzically. "Whats wrong?" Silver voiced. Chelsea grabbed her phone from her short's pocket. "I just needed to get my phone out. I wanted to take pictures." She smiled while holding the white iPhone up.

"Really?" Shadow's brows dropped. Chelsea held the phone up and gave an irritated look before chuckling. "Oh, hush up and open your present Shady." Shadow grumbled something giving the need for the young mother to give him one more irked look. She centered her attention back to the screen. The crimson hedgie unwrapped the present only halfway. Shadow's eyes suddenly widened.

Click!

Perfect.

Crimson irises looked back up to Chelsea and then back to the present. He did it once more and afterwards whispered, "Did you…" he trailed off finding himself speechless. "Yes." Sonic and Silver peered over the ebon hedgehog's shoulder trying to see the present.

"What'd ya get Shads?"

"Yeah, you can't just leave us hanging hear."

Shadow shakily picked up the present. In his hands was a fairly large box and on that box was a picture of a, slick, white laptop. His eyes stayed glued to the box and the corners of his mouth twitched. He looked up. "H-How did you know?" Chelsea patted her temple with her finger and said, "I'm a mother Shady mother. I know everything. And I mean _everything_." Her eyes flickered to Sonic and she raised an eyebrow. Sonic blinked before he suddenly started blushing a dark red.

_Dammit, she knows._

Chelsea then took her eyes off of him and onto the dark hedgehog who was smiling like crazy. She would deal with Sonic later. "Now give me the wrapping paper so I can-" her breath hitched. Chelsea was suddenly in an embrace something that surprised the hedgehog himself. She returned the embrace a little shaken by the sudden action.

"Thank you mother," Shadow mumbled in her neck.

The young woman smiled warmly. "You're welcome baby," cheerfully exclaimed. Shadow released her. Chelsea chuckled as he awkwardly sat in his seat cursing himself for what he had just done. Sonic and Silver smiled genuinely towards him. They wanted to tease him so much but, they were quite happy he finally had the guts to actually show affection first. It was something he rarely did.

And they meant _rarely._

"Okay, who wants to go next?"

"Ooh I do! I do!" Silver raised his hand excitedly in the air.

Chelsea handed him his present and he wasted no time in tearing it apart.

Click!

Silver only had to take one look at it before jumping in her arms and repeatedly thanking. His mouth seemed to run a mile a minute.

"Ohmygoshthankyouthankyouthankyouhowdidyouknowiwan tedthissinceforevernowIcan-"

"Silver breathe! Please. Oh and you're welcome and you know how you told me that little secret? Well I've always wanted to buy it but I kind of forgot about it so I took the time to buy the lamp. You want to try it out."

Silver raised an eyebrow while separating the tape on the box. "How are we going to do that? It's still, like, morning."

The young woman stood up and walked towards the office which was the darkest room because it didn't have windows. She motioned for the boys to follow her. The hedgehogs got up and went along with Silver holding the night light in his hands. When the got there Chelsea opened the door and closed it when everyone was in.

Because it was near pitch black Silver inched towards the nearest living thing. Chelsea felt something bump into her back and she screamed a bit startled. Another scream lifted in the air but she didn't know who since, this morning, Shadow apparently had a 'girly' scream.

"Why are we even in here mom?" a voice that sounded a lot like Sonic's voiced.

"Silver, honey, do you have the light?"

Said hedgehog almost nodded but held back seeing as no one could actually see him. "Yeah. It's right here." Chelsea stretched her arms forward trying to hold the object. She flinched when her hand hit the door. "Ow," she whispered.

"You okay mother?"

"Yeah, thanks Shady."

"Don't call me that."

She rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Well then," and continued searching for the lamp. "Why don't you just open the door so light can come in?" Silver said.

_Why didn't I think of that?_

"Because-"

_Did I really say that out loud?_

"Shadow the Hedgehog if you, so as much, say a thing I'm taking that laptop back. I don't care if you're 16 and the freakin' Ultimate Lifeform. I will find a way to rip it from your hands."

There was plenty of silence after that.

Chelsea finally got the door open and immediately grabbed the lamp and turned it on, ready to get out of the stuffy space. She closed the door again. The four watched in awe as the ceiling was filled with bright, vibrant, colors. They swirled around and at moment mixed together only to separate again. The lights brought a calm aura upon them. Silver smiled at the ceiling and then towards Chelsea who caught his peaceful grin. She smiled back and continued watching the light show.

_{Living Room}_

"Ok Sonic. You're next and yours is a big one." She pulled out a huge box. She hugged it awkwardly trying to deliver the present. It was almost her height. Chelsea wobbled towards Sonic almost tripping in the process. Shadow snickered and Silver punched him in the shoulder.

"Here, why don't you just place it here? I can open it like this." She nodded and placed the box in a vertical position. Sonic savored the picture of the enormous present before tearing it open savagely. Halfway through ripping the, light blue, paper his eyes widened to dinner plates.

He looked up. "You did not…" his voice trailed off finding no words to continue his sentence.

Chelsea smirked. She faked a confused look. "Umm I believe," she glanced at the box, "I just did."

"You don't know how awesome you are right now." The azure hedgehog gave the young mother an embrace and continued ripping off the rest of the wrapping paper. Sonic stood a few feet away soaking in the box.

Rock Band 3; what a glorious sight.

Two hours of guitar, drum and singing later the four stood in the living room. Sonic, Shadow and Silver raised eyebrows at their mother who had three swimming trunks in her hands.

"What are those for?" Silver asked pointing at the nylon shorts in front of him.

"These," Chelsea held the shorts higher, "are for swimming silly. If you hadn't realized, we're going swimming. It's just to pass the time till we have dinner. You'll be hungry by then."

Shadow's brows dropped and he crossed his arms. "_If_ _you hadn't realized mother_," Chelsea had to swallow back a growl from the tone of his voice, "hedgehogs don't swim. We never have and we never will. We don't exactly like water."

"I agree wholly," Sonic poked.

"Speak for yourself Shadow," Silver said.

The dark-skinned woman rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Shady. Just because I accidently pushed you into the pool doesn't mean you have to bash on the idea and it's not like you drowned. You just walked out unharmed."

"That was because I fell in the shallow-"

"Okay! Who's ready to go into the pool?"

Silver raised his hand excitedly. "I AM! I AM! I AM!"

Chelsea nodded with a grin, happy that, at least, someone excited to do the activity. "Here you guys. Put them on. The blue one is Sonic's the red one is Shadow's and the yellow one is Silver's."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to get in?"

"Uhh…no?"

"Get in the dang pool Sonic."

"What if I don't want to?"

"I'll pull you in."

"That's called child abuse."

"So?"

The azure hedgehog that stood at the first step of the pool looked at his mother with slight fear. His trembling hands gripped the metal bar and his teeth chattered. Chelsea had only managed to get him to step down on the first step in 20 minutes. She knew he had a fear of water but she didn't think it was this bad. Sonic would practically shiver when someone said the word water.

The young mother stood in the pool; the depth of four feet had the water up to her waist. The neon orange and black bikini strings floated around her and the ends of her hair were dripping with water. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips as she gave the cerulean male a stern look.

"Why won't you, at least, take a few more steps? You're not going to drown. I promise."

Sonic shook his head, side to side, vigorously. "I think this is okay. You can go and do whatever humans do in the pool. I think I'll just stay here. Maybe go out in-"

"Come on Sonic. Hey, I'll even push Shadow in again if you at least walk one step," Chelsea urged.

Emerald eyes flickered from the dark-skinned woman to the next step of the pool stairs. Could he do it? If he did his whole foot would be underwater. What if he tripped and face planted into the water? If that happened he would be dead for sure. But if it didn't happen he would get to see his darker look alike pushed into the pool thrashing and screaming like an idiot. It would be the greatest present he would ever receive

But, only if he just took one tiny step.

Sonic clenched his eyes shut. He harshly inhaled and exhaled. He held his breathe as he took a step down. Immediately he shivered, the warm water encased his foot and reached up to his ankle. He felt his heart thump, each thump getting louder and harder with each breath. The blue hedgehog lifted his other foot and slowly slid it into the water. For a moment he expected for something to pop up, grab him and swim him down to the deepest part of the pool, killing him in the process. You couldn't run in water. You couldn't fight. Once you are under you're just as vulnerable as a turtle in the middle of the highway. Sonic held onto the cool metal bar with all his might. He was going to die. This had to be-

Wait? Had he done it?

He looked at his feet. They were completely submerged! He'd done it. He'd completed the impossible. Sonic looked at Chelsea, who clapped cheerfully, with a smug smirk. "So," he chuckled rubbing his nose, "when's my reward going to start?"

"Take another step Speedy."

Oh, no. Ohhh, no. He wasn't going to play this game. He wasn't going to play 'I promise I'll give you candy after you clean your room even though I promised you it after you cleaned mine' game. He was fooled once and he learned from his errors. He was promised a black hedgehog pushed in the pool and, dang-nabbit, he was going to get one.

"No." It was firm two lettered word sentence and he was going to stick by it. "I'm not going any farther mom and that's final." And to seal the deal he crossed his arms and grunted sternly. "I was promised a reward and you have to follow it."

"No I don't," Chelsea retorted quickly.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"And why not?"

"Because I'm the parent and you're the child."

Oh this was not fair.

"Well I don't care anymore anyway. I'm not going any farther so deal with it."

That cocky attitude was going to get him hit one day. Chelsea fumed silently over his words before sighing heavily. "Don't do anything you'll regret later Chelsea. Just calm down." She looked up and softened her brown eyes. "Sonic?"

Said hedgehog turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye. He fully turned around and uncrossed his arms. There he saw Chelsea with her arms out and a soft, comforting, smile. "Come on sweetie," her fingers scrunched in and out multiple times, "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Sonic only stared blankly.

He couldn't do it. There was no way. She looked at least fifty miles away. It was, by God's grace, a miracle he was even _in_ the water. She was crazy if she expected him to move anywhere past the second step. Just looking at the third step had his heart racing 174 miles per hour. Sonic could've sworn he almost had a heart attack when Chelsea disappeared under the water. Where was she!? Did something pull her under? This is why he never went into water deeper than one foot. Wait, what if she was coming to pull him under? He couldn't handle that. Would she really be that cruel?

Sonic frantically searched for any sign of the young adult underneath the blue liquid. "Mom?" he said forcing himself to keep his voice steady. He searched again.

Though, it'll always be a wonder how Sonic missed the black blob that was right in front of him.

"Boo."

A blood curdling scream erupted from the poor hedgehog. Chelsea walked towards him (out of nowhere) with a drink in her hand, about to ask him if he wanted one. She suddenly dropped it as her hands were filled with blue hedgehog. Sonic wrapped his arms, tightly, around her neck, shivering. She blinked.

"Hm? What happened-" Chelsea asked before a deep laugh pierced the air. She averted her eyes to the origin of the laugh and immediately narrowed her eyes. "Shadow…of course."

Needless to say, Shadow the Hedgehog was having the best time of his life. Although his chest fur was soggy, which he hated, nothing could dampen his mood at the moment. He floated on his back, arms behind his head, while chuckling at the hedgehog that trembled in fear. He'd gotten past the whole 'hedgehogs in water' issue and decided to only stay in the, more or less, shallow zone of the pool. Or to where the water came up to his chest.

"Aw come on Shadow that wasn't very nice," Silver said so out of the blue. He stood next to the ebon hedgehog who only frowned in his direction. "But I have to say, that was hilarious."

That frown was turned upside down in a heartbeat.

The two fist bumped and Silver slowly deceased into the water and swam away to the deeper end. Shadow wondered where he went off to for a second before turning his attention back on the previous subject. He only smirked as his mother scolded him for his stunt and comforted the pale blue figure.

"Ugh, Shadow I'm gonna really mess you up one day," Chelsea rolled her eyes.

"Gonna is not a word mother."

In all honesty, she respected his correction.

"No. Nonononononononononononono."

"Speedy we're almost there. It's alright. See?"

"Mom-_mom take me back now._ I can't- Ahh! It's touching my butt!"

"Baby, just a few more steps and once we're fully in we'll be out in a jiffy."

"Oh, this is it. I'm going to die and my own mother won't even help me. This is great. This is just perfect."

Chelsea only sighed as the azure hedgehog held her closer. The water was only to the lower abdominal part of her body and Sonic was still freaking out. She giggled as he whispered the Lord's Prayer in her neck. "Sonic, I promise nothing will happen to you." She rubbed his back soothingly. "Just detach yourself from my head and ease yourself in the water. You're taller than me so it'll only reach your-"

Sonic glared at her before flicking the back of her head.

"Ow."

"I don't care where it reaches," he seethed, "I just want to be on dry land. I forgive you for your sins against me. I forgive the ill feelings you have towards me."

"But I-"

"It's okay. No need to thank me."

"Okay then? Well, let's go deeper pool and-"

"I said I forgive you now TAKE ME OUT!"

So, the pool thing didn't exactly work out but, that's okay. As long as the boys were having fun everything was alright. It was alright that she annoyed to no end. It was okay that she felt like jumping off a cliff and pulling her hair out. Even though she nearly to the point of throwing the hedgehogs out the window it was all okay. It was their birthday and she had to make sure they were having the best day of their lives. Everything would pay off in the end when she would see their happy faces when they went to bed.

The dim lit sky told the young mother that it was indeed time to bring out the cake. Chelsea smiled at the frosted tower on the dining table. She managed to carry it from the refrigerator all the way to the table all by herself.

"Wow mom. That's an awesome cake." Silver stared in awe at the delicious treat in front of him.

The cake had a large layer on the bottom and a smaller one on top. It was a half chocolate, half vanilla cake with white frosting for the base. Around the edges of the bottom half was blue frosting and on the top was red frosting. On the surface of the two layers was silver frosting that zig-zagged across. On the top layer was the words 'Happy Birthday Sonic, Shadow and Silver', each name in the owners signature color. She'd gotten weird looks from the baker when she told him what names to put on the cake but she didn't care. He couldn't say anything to her anyway. Besides, the hedgies' happy faces made it worth it.

Chelsea went over to a drawer and pulled out a plastic bag. She took out numbered candles; three ones, two fives and one six. She then grabbed a lighter and placed the items on the table. One by one she stuck the candles on the cake, each two candles going in front of the person who it belonged to. The three hedgehogs watched silently as the candles were lighted, the flame blue at the bottom and then an orange-y red at the top. "Okay," Chelsea chirped, "well, the only thing left is sing the song. Do you want me to sing alone or…" she trailed off signaling them to answer. She really hoped they wouldn't let her sing by herself; she was a terrible singer.

"Umm," Silver voiced looking at the other two who looked at him. Sonic shrugged and Shadow just stared indifferently at him. They could really care less who sung. "Why don't you just sing the song mom?" the azure hedgehog said with a nonchalant attitude.

The young woman's lips scrunched to the side. She soon bit her lip, feeling the nervousness creep into the pit of her stomach. Sure she shouldn't be embarrassed to sing the flipping song in front of the boys but they weren't just any boys. They were the three famous hedgehogs that made fans, boy or girl, go crazy at only just hearing their names. They were the same hedgehogs that saved the world, well, anime wise, on a daily basis. In her own eyes, they were celebrities, they were her precious children. And she was going to sing for them when she had the most horrible voice in the history of voices. She couldn't just sing.

No.

"I don't know…" Chelsea shyly whispered bowing her head. She felt blood rush into her cheeks and the world suddenly on her shoulders. She twiddled with her thumbs, "I'm not the best singer there is, honestly."

"Then why'd you ask us if you didn't want to sing in the first place?" Shadow's voice was crisp, clean, and without an ounce of sympathy.

Chelsea sighed wearily. "I was just trying to be nice and ask you guys," she scratched the back of her neck a habit she caught from a little blue hedgehog, "but if you want me to really do it…" Maybe she was taking this thing to seriously. It was an eleven second song and she was freaking out about it. She took a huge breath, closing her eyes, trying with her every fiber to calm her beating heart.

_Here goes nothing._

"Happy birthday to you. You were born in the zoo. You look like a monkey and, you smell like one too."

The dark-skinned women's eyes popped open as she immediately realized what she had sung. Chelsea dared herself to look at the hearing crowd.

Just as she thought.

They looked down right confused, maybe a bit horrified?

"Whoops," she sheepishly said, "Wrong one. My brother used to sing to me and it kind stuck." She laughed nervously before clearing her throat and exhaling deeply.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, my dear children," she couldn't find a way to fit all three of their names, "Happy birthday to you." Chelsea congratulated herself on the accomplishment of the task and looked hopefully at the boys. Sonic, Shadow and Silver stared blankly at her. Their stoic expressions made her smile falter a bit but she still kept it up.

Well, one thing's for sure, she wasn't lying about her voice. Shadow would've rather listened to Lady Gaga and he thought dogs could sing better than her. His ruby irises flickered over to the youngest of the three and rolled his eyes when a bright smile took over his features. He nearly threw up when he complimented on her singing. He quickly adjusted his gaze towards the blue one and rolled his eyes, again, when he copied the other's actions. The ebon male felt all eyes on him and he sighed. As much as he found joy in making his mother flustered, he couldn't crush her attitude. Besides, he didn't feel like getting chewed out.

"You could've done better in my opinion but that doesn't matter."

In all honesty, that slipped out.

Shadow's eyes widened a fraction, a bit surprised at his own words. He saw Chelsea gape at him with just as much shock as the other two. Despite his cool illustration the hedgehog frantically cursed himself out. He's done it now.

Curse his brutal honesty and his inability to keep his big mouth shut.

He was sure to get smacked on his backside. Those things were painful too.

"Ignore what I just said," he quickly covered up when he felt a cold glare from his mother. Shadow looked at the candles trying his hardest to block the irritated expressions that surrounded him. His ear flickered as Chelsea sighed.

"Never mind."

Shadow couldn't help but feel remorse. That sentence was short but it was filled with so much hurt, he almost apologized. In fact he was going to until she cut him off.

"Anyways," her voice instantly chirpy, "make a wish and blow out your candles so we can eat the cake."

"Okay! It is now the end of the day. Which also means your birthdays are coming to an end," Chelsea announced. She walked into the living room after having to wash the dishes. Her fingers felt uncomfortably pruney but she was ecstatic for the next thing on the agenda. That is only if the boys agreed to it.

_Why wouldn't they? I mean it was, like, our favorite thing to do. Except they were toddlers so maybe…_

"Aww already?" Silver groaned traveling down the stairs. He'd spent most of his time playing with the night light.

"Yeah honey, unfortunately," the mother lied. She was so happy about the next thing they were going to do and, secretly, they were driving her crazy the entire day. Because it was their birthday she was to be more of a caring and loving servant; not that she wasn't one all the time but, she couldn't complain. It was what every mother does on their child or children's birthday. It was the rules everyone followed even if it wasn't written down.

Silver walked towards her and Chelsea embraced him, which he returned, and they stayed like that. There was no reason why they were hugging, they just did. They did this all the time, to Sonic and Shadow's annoyance, and they didn't care what any of the others thought. It was just their thing.

"But now you're 16. You have two more years until you become an official adult." Chelsea kissed the top of the hedgehog's forehead. She never wanted to see the day he grew up and wouldn't need her. She couldn't go through that with any of her hedgies. It was heart-breaking to even think about it. Silver nuzzled deeper into the warm embrace soaking up the warmth and scent of his mom. "That day is going to suck mom." The young mother furrowed her brows in confusion, still she kept her position. "And why is that Silvy?" she asked. "Because then I have to start acting like one and then you'll expect me to move out and junk. And then I'm going to miss you a lot when I'm living somewhere else and I really don't want to go through that anytime soon. Can't I just live with you forever?"

Chelsea silently awed.

She giggled and pulled back to get a good look at him. "I'm really going to hate the girl who takes you away from me. And don't worry. Even if you're thirty I would be more than happy to have you here than somewhere else sweetie."

Silver laughed a bit. A second of silence later his golden irises popped out. He was looking directly at her. He was _looking_ into her eyes and he didn't have to tilt his head in the slightest. Chelsea, unnoticeably, took a step back when the silver furry started to laugh crazily. "Uhh Silver? What's-"

"Hey mom do you have some tape. I kinda, maybe, ya'know, broke the drumstick," Sonic said while climbing down the steps. He loosely held half of a drumstick from his present and sheepishly smiled. A light blush tinted his cheeks. Sonic suddenly jumped back and put his hands up, in a poor performance of someone who took karate, when Silver pointed at him and laughed. The drumstick went flying and hit a dark hedgehog who, coincidentally, walked to the spot where it landed. Shadow yelped in more of surprise than pain and looked towards the ceiling, rubbing the bruised spot.

_I know what I looked at was wrong but you didn't have  
to throw a stick at my head!_

Was God already punishing him for 'accidently' looking at those X-rated pictures on his phone?

Shadow jumped back when a finger was, also, pointed at him. "What the hell!?"

"Shadow! Language," Chelsea butted in. She shook her head a bit before casting her eyes on Silver. "Honey, you mind telling me why you're so happy?"

Silver turned to look at her and puffed his chest out, proudly. "You shrunk!"

She was ultimately confused and, for some reason, felt a little threatened.

"What do you mean I shrunk? I can't shrink. Not yet anyway."

"You guys can't tease me anymore because-"

"Wait what!? You were being teased. By who!?" Chelsea yelled. "How many times do I have to tell you people to stop teasing each other?" she stomped her foot making them jump a little,"I do not want another replay of what happened to Sonic again."

And they didn't want a replay of what happened either.

"Umm they-"

"Hey buddy, what were going to say again," Sonic chuckled nervously. He put an arm around him and tightly squeezed his neck. "Uhh S-Sonic, I can't b-breathe."

"Oh, sorry," the azure hedgehog said sarcastically before giving him one last squeeze. Shadow walked up also pretending to not care then he whispered into Silver's ear, "Pick your words carefully hedgehog. I don't feel like having my rear end sting for a couple of days and I'm sure you wouldn't either."

Silver looked at the two bewildered before pushing them away. He scoffed and smiled once again. "You two don't hafta' threaten me. I wasn't going to tell her you were the ones that teased me…oops." He laughed nervously and stepped away from the two that gave him death glares. He scooted towards Chelsea, who also had a frightening glare glued to the black and blue hedgehogs. "Mom, calm down. What I was going to say was that I grew taller!"

Chelsea looked at Silver and observed his height. He was right and that only ticked her off more. "Aw this is just great," she threw her hands in the air, "In a few years, you're going to be taller than me!"

"But isn't that good?" Sonic asked a bit unsure.

"No," Chelsea said, "of course not! I'm supposed to be the tall one here not you guys. Aren't you guys supposed to be short? Did you know you were supposed to stop growing at, like, four feet?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if it's just some weird Earth thing or something but you guys are supposed to be up to here," she firmly placed a hand on her hip, "not here." Chelsea raised her arm towards the ceiling.

"Are you really going to get upset about this mother? Calm down jeez. You're acting childish and stupid. Grow up." Shadow rolled his at her behavior.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Shads, before she goes crazy," Sonic whispered harshly. The ebony hedgehog only looked at him before walking off into another room.

"Mom, before you do anything irrational; it's our birthday and Shadow's just going through a phase. Don't do anything you might regret," Sonic pleaded.

Chelsea sighed heavily before smiling. Sonic and Silver shivered. The smile on her face didn't look exactly sane. They winced as she cracked her neck and said with a high voice, "I'm not mad. I'm not mad. _I'm not mad._" She blew out a breath before walking calmly into the room where the dark hedgehog went in.

Silver stepped forward, "Mom, I don't think-"

"You two pick a movie because we are _going_ to watch a movie. After you're done go and get ready for bed. I'll be bringing out the mattress."

Without a sound of defiance the two hedgehogs scurried out the stairs.

"Jeez, I didn't know telling her I grew an inch would trigger all that. I would've kept my mouth shut," Silver shivered. Sonic patted his back and shook his head, "I'm telling you, she's crazy. That's all there is to it."

"Well one thing's for sure."

"What's that?"

"I have no doubt in my mind Shadow's going to walk out of that room with a red butt."

"I bet you he won't walk out of that room period."

This was one of those sadistic parenting moments where you hurt the child out of love but you enjoyed it. She wanted to kick all the fur from his butt. Chelsea wanted to see him cry and beg for her to forgive his rudeness and that scared Chelsea herself. She was against any type of abuse, there was no question about that, but she did think if you needed to remind a child who the adult was in the house, it was alright. She barged into the room to see the, about to be, victim lying on the mattress with a phone in the air.

But it was soon her hand.

Shadow blinked trying to process what had just happened. The next minute he shouted in objection. She could not see what he was looking at. "Give it back mother!" Shadow tried to grab it but she stepped out of the way. The ebony hedgehog tried again and again but only failed each time.

Chelsea raised her brow. She put her hand out which immediately ceased all actions. She looked at the phone and back at Shadow. She narrowed her eyes as she searched into his frantic irises. It suddenly clicked.

He was hiding something.

The young woman went through the phone instantly. Shadow looked at her horrified. There were some things on there which he was not particularly proud of. He attempted to try to get the phone back and it was a risky tactic. Shadow tackled her. They fell on the bed wrestling with each other.

"Give it back to me Chelsea. I'm serious!"

"Shadow if you don't get off of me I promise you I will ground you until the day you die."

"Give it back or else you nuisance!"

"Excuse me Mr. but who are you talking to like that?"

"Are you deaf? You! Now give it back. Stop bothering me."

Chelsea finally had enough. She tickled his chest fur causing Shadow to immediately jump off of her. He planted his arms around his torso protecting it from her. He held a small smile before replacing it with a deep frown. He straightened up before glaring daggers at human. "I'm only going to say this once and try to actually listen for once. Give me my phone back, now!" he shouted.

Shadow suddenly found a finger in his face. Chelsea pointed at him angrily, kind of like when someone has done wrong and you tell them that it was a bad choice except, with a hundred times more anger. She narrowed her eyes and whispered, "If you think, for one minute, you're going to talk to me like that you're damn wrong," she started to raise her voice," You are the child, I am the adult. I will not stand here and be belittled by my own child."

"Fine look through it. I don't care anyway," Shadow matched her voice, turning his back on her. He huffed and crossed his arms. When he heard tiny buttons being pressed he growled and kicked the door out of anger.

This wasn't surprising at all. If Sonic had pictures like this on his phone, Shadow was guaranteed to have the same things. Chelsea firmly placed a hand on her hip.

"Explain to me why I see naked people on your phone."

The hedgehog didn't reply back.

"Shadow when I ask you something you answer me," she snapped.

Shadow whipped around. He went up to her and snatched the phone away. "It's my phone. I can do whatever the hell I want on it," he pointed an accusing finger in her face, "You don't have any right to go through it."

"I'm your mother Shadow! If I want to go through it I can. Don't you stand here and tell me I can't look through a phone I bought for someone when they don't even need it! And get that finger out of my face!"

She was so close to breaking the finger. So close. But she wouldn't dare.

This was frustrating and not to mention annoying. Shadow snarled at her. He was infuriated. There was no other way to put. He towered over her by at least five inches and yet she didn't cower. It was so frustrating because he could never intimidate her. "Why don't you just stay away from me and stay out of my business Chelsea. I'm so tired of you meddling into my life and always trying to be around me and acting like a stupid little kid. It's sickening."

"You watch your mouth Shadow the Hedgehog."

"I can say whatever the hell I want to you. You're not my real mother. You never are and never will be. I'm not related to you in any way, shape or form. You're my fucking caretaker so stay out of my life."

A sickening crack split through the air. The sound could break glass if it was only a pinch louder. Shadow faced the wall with a blank look. For minutes he stood like that until a dark smile crawled upon his lips. He took his cheek in his hand and caressed it softly. He chuckled darkly.

He fully expected that to happen. Maybe not as hard as she did it but, still.

Shadow wanted to see her angry. He wanted to see her glow red with fury. He wanted to see untamable fire in her eyes, one that was inextinguishable. He wanted to see her that way because she made him feel like this all day. He didn't know why but for some reason every little thing she said today irritated him, even if it wasn't directed to him. Her voice irritated him to the point where he wanted to push someone off a cliff. He sometimes wanted to take duct tape her mouth shut because she talked too damn much. He wanted to see her angry with nostrils flared and bottom lip twitching.

So it was a bit of a surprise when she had tears in her eyes.

He just felt more rage bubble in his chest. "Why the hell are you crying? So I said a cuss word, so what? That's nothing to cry about Chelsea." Now he wanted to hurt her.

Chelsea stared at him with tears about it spill. She still held her hand up but she weakly stuck her pointer finger out. She shook her head. "W-why are you being so damn cruel." Shadow only stared at her with slight surprise.

"W-what do you mean-"

"SHUT UP!"

He found his mouth shut the instant she opened her mouth. Chelsea lowered her hand. Her voice returned to a whisper, "Since the day you appeared I loved you like my own child." Shadow rolled his eyes, "Stop being so dramatic-"

"If you interrupt me one more time I swear on my life I will rip your fucking quills out."

Never had he heard her use the f-word. Never. She was against it. She was against swearing but she used it. Shadow suddenly felt all the anger flush out his system. He looked at her with so much remorse it was unbelievable. He searched for any type of forgiveness. The forgiveness he usually found when he was in one of his moods but he found none. What had possessed him to be the way he was and say the things he said? He never wanted anything like this to happen…did he? Well, not on his birthday of all days. The guilt was pressured onto him and it felt as if the whole world decided to use him as a stepstool. Shadow reached a hand towards her carefully, trying not to get slapped again. He placed the trembling hand on her shoulder but retracted it when Chelsea smacked it away.

"I loved you so much Shadow."

Why was she talking as if she didn't love him anymore? This scared him so much. He was sorry, he was sorry! He loved her very much. She meant the world to him!

"Mother I'm-"

"What did I say Shadow! Huh? And don't call me that anymore. I'm just your fucking caretaker."

What did she mean? Shadow felt his vision blur when tears rushed down her cheeks. Was he crying? Her voice was so weak, it was heart-breaking.

"I loved you as much as any other mother could, even more. Since day one I always loved you and cared for you. I held you and hugged you every day or up until you suddenly got too old for that. According to you showing affection is disgusting. You know what Shadow that's fine. Be an asshole for the rest of your life because you know what, I won't be in it to care!"

Shadow looked away and flattened his ears. He didn't want to hear this! No.

"Please momma I'm-"

"I said don't call me that! Every day I put up with your attitude. You're never nice to me unless I give you what you want. Every single mother fucking day you act like I'm some…thing that you have to live with. I don't know why I even try sometimes. Why can't you be more like your brothers? They at least tell me they love me every night before they go to bed but you? You just tell me goodnight and leave. Sometimes you don't even say anything!"

Her voice was so raspy, so broken.

"I want the other Shadow back. Not this sorry excuse for one. He loved me and cherished me like every other child does to their mother. Whenever he had nightmares he would just crawl into my bed and hold me and told me he loved me so much for just being there. He would always worry about what I did and if it was good for me or not. He promised me he would never hit me. Ha! Some lie. I bet you would hit me more times than you have fingers if you could!"

He couldn't take it.

"NO, _**THAT'S**_ NOT TRUE! I STILL LOVE YOU MOMMA. I STILL DO. I'M SORRY. I KNOW I ACTED LIKE A STUCK UP BASTARD BUT PLEASE YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME. I'M SORRY MOMMA. I'M SORRY!"

"IT'S TOO LATE NOW SHADOW. IF YOU DON'T WANT ME IN YOUR LIFE THAT'S FINE! I'M DONE!"

Shadow's eyes widened. His tear stricken muzzle was tinted red due to the crying. "W-what do you mean you're d-done?"

Chelsea wiped her cheeks. "As far as I'm concerned, you are not my child Shadow. I'm just your caretaker."

He gasped. The pain, oh the pain felt horrid.

"You can go back to those lab coats and be tortured for all I care!"

And with a hop and skip, the young mother of two left the scene with hot tears pouring down her face.

For the first time in his life, Shadow the Hedgehog felt worthless.

* * *

**SunLove: **_Oh please don't be mad at me. _

**Sonic:** _That was horrible._

**Silver:** _I can't believe you wrote that. _

**SunLove: **_I know but, where's Shadow?_

**Shadow: **_Please don't talk to me right now. I'm going to go sulk in the corner because I just lost someone important to me._

**Chelsea: **_Hey, why am I so mean in the last part. My poor Shady._

**SunLove:** _You had to be Chelsea. And you weren't, exactly, mean, you had to be a parent._

**Chelsea: **_Yeah but, I basically I disowned him..._

**Sonic:** _That was so sad._

**Shadow:** _*Cries*_

**Silver:** _Aww... he's crying!_

**Chelsea:** _My poor baby. _

**SunLove: **_I'm so cruel..._

_Thank you for reading!_ **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	15. And He's Gone

**Author's Note:**_ Ooohh, another chapter. There's not much to say. Although, this one is considerably shorter than the other's. Sorry about that but, not only was it exhausting on my part but it would keep you guys waiting and isn't that the fun part about reading; the suspense! Anyway, yeah, so...enjoy._

All spelling and grammatical errors are completely my fault. Please correct me.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic or anyone related. I do own Chelsea.**

* * *

Chapter 15: And…He's Gone

This was definitely not how they wanted to end their birthday.

Not like this.

Sonic and Silver didn't expect to see their mother run off crying. They had tried to ask what was wrong but it was useless. All they got out of her was a watery, "I'm sorry but we're not watching the movie." And then a loud bang of her bedroom door ended it. Silver had tried numerous times to get her to talk but all she ignored him. Sonic, who obviously knew this was going now where, went to his next resort.

Shadow.

Later he would find out he might as well talk to a brick wall. It was a full blown surprise that the older brother leaned against the wall with his head in his hands and knees, sobbing, something he quite actually never saw. Sonic desperately tried to sooth the young hedgehog but each time he got close a fearsome glare would be sent his way. A glare so cold, he felt his spine shiver. It was like no other glare. This one seemed to mean 'you come close and, I swear, I will kill you.' But, of course, his cold demeanor never stopped the azure hedgehog. So why should he stop now?

"Shadow, please tell me what happened between you and mom. Why are you both crying?" Sonic asked. He sat in front of his sobbing look-alike, praying that he would respond. And as usual, he didn't.

What could he do? No less than a foot away from him was a hedgehog, a hedgehog that was known for his strong stature and stoic attitude, crying his heart out in his lap. Sonic felt a strong pull in his chest as he saw the other's fur matted and damp with tears. "Please tell me? I-Silver and I will help you. We can just bring you to mom and-"

His emerald eyes widened as ruby orbs bored into him. The only thing going through his mind was,

_The closet._

Why was he thinking about the closet at such a time? Well, unknown to Shadow and his mother, Sonic and Silver saw what happened. He wasn't sure if his lighter furred brother remembered but, he sure did. He remembered every single detail. He remembered the glare, which was so scary. He remembered when those same ruby irises glistened with so much hate, worry and fright it was unbelievable. He remembered how shadow growled and snarled at Chelsea. He might've not known what was happening but, he remembered. But what did this have to do with anything?

Well, those same emotions were clear and evident in his eyes.

From that day, when they were smaller, he never wanted to see Shadow look like that again. His eyes were so malicious, so devil-like, so…evil. He refused to think his brother was evil. He wasn't! He read the Bible. He believed in God. He accepted Him as his personal savior. He did everything he did. Yeah, everyone messed up but that didn't mean anyone was evil. But it was hard to not think that when he glared at him like this, as if he were the devil himself.

Sonic gasped and jumped back. He panted wildly as Shadow was suddenly in his face, teeth-no, fangs bared. It was like he had changed into a completely different hedgehog. He could no longer find a trace of him. He looked and looked, harder. Refusing to believe what his inner self was screaming.

_His eyes are that of a demon. No good. No good._

"Sh-Shadow! Stop. Y-your scaring me." Sonic cautiously backed away.

Shadow growled loudly, fur standing, fangs glistening. His voice was so low yet so dangerous. "Don't you _dare_ bring her face to me you worthless piece of trash."

Why was he acting like such an animal?

"Shadow stop acting like such a-"

"SHUT UP! You **_will _**leave me be or you will be sorry!" and with that the crimson striped hedgehog stood up and walked away. His walk looked calm and composed from behind. His fur was back in its place and his quills were swaying side to side, like they usually did. But that cold chilling aurora stayed surrounding him. It was so thick Sonic swore he felt his throat close. His command was so quick, so blunt and so….

evil.

This was all too confusing for Sonic. He was found, frozen, on his spot by Silver who frantically shouted, "Sonic! Sonic! What's wrong with Shadow? He just left the house! I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. Mom won't listen either. It was like she didn't care. Sonic what's going on!?"

For some reason, that didn't surprise Sonic.

"Something really bad happened Silver. Something really bad. I don't know what happened but, I do know, Shadow won't be coming back for awhile."

Chelsea's P.O.V.

There were just certain times when you question anything and everything you ever knew. Sometimes I question why I was even given the things I was given. I don't understand half of the things God does. I don't know if it's just one big plan he had or I have to be taught something or maybe I was getting punished. I don't know but, right now I really just want everything to stop. This was too much for me to handle.

Why would God give three hedgehogs to me? Someone who was so mean, so impulsive, so impatient, so self-centered. I never think about what I say. I try to hurt your feelings if you hurt mine. I don't understand. I know I shouldn't doubt what God does but, how can I not? I just destroyed one of the most precious relationships in my life. My messed up life.

Oh, Shadow.

For hours I've cried over the ordeal. Every tear I shed was hot and wet. My face was soaked in the salty substance to a point where my face felt hard and tight when it dried. I curled into a tiny ball under the sheets pulling the covers over my shivering form. I buried my face in the pillow soaking it also. My head felt so warm but my body felt like it had been dipped in ice. I gasped for breath loudly, as that was how I cried. I inhaled deeply before exhaling shakily, couching. My hair was in a tangled mess too. But I didn't care.

I deserved it.

I didn't care that I felt as if my head was about to explode because of my pounding headache. I didn't care that my stomach cramped and churned horribly. I definitely didn't care. I wanted to suffer. I deserved to. All I did to my children was make them suffer so, it was only fair that I did too. I didn't deserve forgiveness from my Lord. I have hurt my child so much.

I hurt Shadow so much.

I screamed at him. I cursed at him. I didn't allow him to call me mother or momma. Those big, red eyes, I adored; I turned them down. I declined his heart of the love he desperately needed. I'm the one that ripped him away from myself. I, of course, inflicted unbearable pain on his heart. The way he screamed for my forgiveness made my heart burn with regret.

Why couldn't I think for myself for once?

Why couldn't I just ground him and hug him later. None of this would've happened if I had just punished him like any other mother. All he would've done was stormed off. All of this could've been avoided if I would've just thought for once!

I sobbed violently as the whole scene played in my mind again. Those pictures on his phone seemed so miniscule to me now. Yeah, it was wrong that he looking at the X-rated pictures but children make mistakes. That's how they learn. Why did I have to get so riled up?

For the next half hour or so I continued to cry and blame myself for everything. I sat up, suddenly, and ripped the covers away. I needed to apologize. Not just to Shadow, to all of them. Every day they had to deal with my behavior, which was unacceptable. They should never have to endure such cruelty every day.

I know the MRF were cruel people but they made the ultimate mistake in giving Sonic, Shadow and Silver to me.

Shadow was right. I wasn't a mother. I was a fucking caretaker.

When I got to the door I tore it open causing it to bang harshly on the wall leaving a small dent. But that didn't matter. I deserve to pay for that. I walked down the stairs and because of the dizziness from my headache I fell. I slid a step down or two before I stopped and somehow got to the bottom step. My back and bottom were terribly sore but, that didn't matter. I deserved the pain.

I slightly limped towards the guest room, where I last saw Shadow. When I walked in the room felt cold. As I stepped onto the carpeted flooring my eyes stung with more tears. My heart ached horribly as I could almost see myself and Shadow screaming our lungs out at each other.

"Shadow?" I croaked, my voice almost broken. I sounded horrible.

But instead I heard a higher voice. One, way, too high to be Shadow's. "Mom!? Is that you?"

Oh, it was Silver.

I didn't answer back, finding that I didn't have the strength, so I just followed the voice filled with deep worry yet inconsumable relief. My foot steps were hard and heavy as my feet marched towards the origin of the voice. Right when I got to the entrance of the office large hands gripped my shoulders. My eyes widened in slight surprise and I gasped. Silver worriedly looked at me before embracing me tightly. Still taken aback, I didn't get the chance to return the hug before he backed away, still holding my arms.

"Mom, something happened. Shadow-"

I raised a brow in question at Silver's sentence before it was interrupted by Sonic's. I turned my head towards the azure hedgehog standing at the door and then at my side in less than one second. His green eyes were wide and frantic and this had me slightly worried. "Mom, what happened between you and Shadow?"

My eyes watered terribly at the mention of the fight. I back away from Silvers grip and took my arm in my own hand. I looked to the ground in shame. Why did I have to be so horrible to him?

"It was all my fault. I-I was so mean to him. I promise I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. I pushed him. He had every right to call me that name. I deserved it. Please don't be upset with me. Please." I fell to the ground shivering. My hands hid my face while violent sobs ripped through my throat. I felt a pair of arms envelop me. Without a second thought, I pushed my head deep inside the hedgehog's chest, whoever it might be. Gloved hands patted and rubbed my back soothingly and we just stayed like that until my sobs decreased to sniffles. "It's alright mom. Everything will be alright. But you have to tell us what happened. And try not to cry okay. I'll be here," a voice, which I found to be Sonic's, said calmly. I nodded feeling a bit better from his soothing words. I wrapped my arms around his waist and began telling the horrible story.

At the end of all of it I had hot tears rolling down my cheeks and soaking the cerulean fur. I couldn't hold it in but I managed to hold in any sounds but, it made the pain in my chest ache. I rubbed the spot with a loose fist, hoping to make it go away.

But it didn't.

I saw, through a blurry vision, Silver bite the ends of his gloves and pace the room. I felt Sonic pull me closer as he breathed a "Wow…"

I sniffled, "I'm sorry."

This time, Silver answered, "For what?"

"For everything I do to you guys. I'm always saying something mean or forcing you to do something you don't want to do. I'm not understanding and I'm not fair on you guys. I'm sorry I'm not doing my job as a mother and loving you like you should-"

I widened my eyes as a hand tightly clamped over my mouth. I took the hand away and looked up at Sonic who scowled.

I did it again. I made him angry. What more could I do?

"Please don't be angry at me Sonic."

"How can I not when you talk bull about yourself?"

I sighed and only shook my head. "You wouldn't understand baby."

"Mom," he pleaded but I only turned away.

Suddenly a hearty laugh came out of nowhere. Sonic and I twisted our heads to the side. There, Silver grabbed his sides and doubled over. I would've been upset about it, I mean, what was so funny about this but as soon as the feeling of anger arose, I shot it down. I didn't want to lose him too. I don't think I could take it.

I was about to question his actions but Sonic beat me to it. "What's so funny Silver?"

We waited patiently for him to calm down and answer. When he finished wiping his tears he answered, "Mom."

"How was I funny Silver?" I asked bewildered.

He shook his head and kneeled down beside us. I let go if Sonic so I could face the two properly. Silver's golden hued eyes shimmered with child-like innocence and glimmered with so much happiness. How could they shine like that after I told him all the horrible things I did?

He reached for my hand and held it tightly. "I mean, it's funny how silly you are." I was about to say something before Sonic grabbed my other hand and smiled brightly. "He's right you know. I know both of you said some stuff that wasn't right but that doesn't mean you two meant it."

"Yeah," Silver said, "You both are at fault so you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. And don't you ever say that you're a bad mother or whatever cus' we all know that's not true."

"Yeah you gave us seven bowls of candy for crying out loud. If that's not a good mother than I don't know what it is," Sonic exclaimed. I laughed and let Silver continue.

"Yeah! And those lollipops were the bomb! Anyway, God gave us to you for a reason and I have to say, he made the best decision ever. We love you very much and no matter how much we say we hate you or how much we act like it, we couldn't survive without you. And you have to believe Shadow knows this too. Yeah, he might be mad right now but, I can tell you this, he loves you more than anything. And everyone knows he's the biggest momma's boy out of the three of us no matter how much he says he's not."

"You got that right. Cus' mom babys him so much. Come here Shady, let me give you kiss for that paper cut. Mommy will make that all better," Sonic grinned teasingly.

I smiled brightly and playfully hit the blue hedgehogs shoulder. The three of us laughed genuinely. I wiped away any remaining tears and warmly embraced the two hedgehogs before me. Their arms also enveloped me. I was so grateful to God for blessing me with three wonderful hedgehogs.

"Why did He give me such wonderful children? I love you both very much. You know that right?"

"Aww shucks," Sonic goofily said with a country accent, "Don't be gettin' so sweet on me momma." We laughed and he continued with his normal voice, "But really mom, no problem."

"We love you as much as you love us. Now all we have to do is find Shadow and you two can make up." I heard Silver say. Everything ended well but what did he just say?

I pulled back and smiled in confusion. "What do you mean; all we have to do is find Shadow? Why do we have to find him?" My heart started to race a bit although I didn't know why. What if…no Shadow would _never_.

But my doubts arose as the two looked to the ground and rubbed the back of their necks. Suddenly, my breathing turned into tiny pants and my eyes looked back and forth waiting for an answer. "Well?" I shouted with a frantic tone.

Sonic looked up worriedly and sighed, defeated. He looked towards Silver who only sighed and shook his head, yes. Why was he saying yes! Wasn't anyone going to answer me?

Emerald and golden orbs focused on me. I looked, expectantly at them with my face forward. Sonic put his hands up cautiously and said, "Mom, you can't freak out ok."

What did he mean; I can't freak out? Was it that bad? My blood started to rush to my heart and I could feel it hammer against my ribs. Did Shadow get hurt? Where was he? Did something happen?

Instead of answering I nodded frantically, wanting to know what the heck was going on!

Silver exhaled deeply before saying the statement that stopped my heart. It made my blood run cold and my body go numb. I would've fainted if it weren't for the shock. Why, why couldn't my life just be simple?

"Shadow went outside and we don't know where he went."

* * *

**Sonic:** _Well, that was short._

**SunLove:** _No need to remind me. I'm booked with homework. Stupid school._

**Chelsea: **_Nu uh uh. School is good for you. Don't curse it._

**SunLove:** _You people get on my nerves._

**Silver:** _You better watch out mom. She's a grouchy one._

**Chelsea:** _I've noticed._

**SunLove:** _I'm right here!_

**Sonic:** _And nobody cares._

**SunLove:** _Why are you all so mean to me._

**Silver:** _Because you made Shadow cry. And Shadow never cries._

**SunLove:** _I had too. It was part of the story!_

**Chelsea:** _Mmmhmm. Yeah, you keep believing that._

Thank you for reading! **R&R**

**_~God Bless You~_**


	16. Skippdy Doo, What to Do

**Author's Note:** _I'm going to start putting the author's note after the chapter. It just seems like I can say stuff without worrying about if I'm giving away the chapter. So, yeah. Thank you._

**Sonic and anyone related belongs to me. Chelsea and everyone else belongs to me.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Skippdy Doo, What to do

They looked everywhere.

And when I say they looked everywhere…. I really don't mean everywhere.

But where would a hedgehog, who's only been truly out of the house once, go? Well, that's the same question the three in the car were trying to figure out. Yes, the three were in the car. At this point Chelsea could care less whether or not someone saw them and neither did the other hedgehogs. They would gladly do flips in the middle of the street if it meant getting a piece of their family back. Because without Shadow,

Are they really a whole?

Sonic kept his face plastered to the window. His hands were sweaty against the glass making marks. His green irises moved back and forth as they desperately searched for the slightest hints of crimson stripes and ebony fur. They had been doing this for hours. Ever since last night Sonic, Silver and Chelsea have been searching for Shadow. Of course, she dropped them off to let them sleep but, she had gone ahead and searched for the ebony hedgehog for the rest of the night. When she came back half of the morning was gone and she went straight back out with the other hedgehogs.

The azure hedgehog backed away from the glass and sighed heavily. The speed of which they were going wasn't going to help them find anything. If they wanted to search, correctly for Shadow it would help if they covered more ground. "Mom?"

Chelsea almost stopped in the middle of the road causing Sonic and Silver to jerk forward. She slowed down tremendously and shouted, "Did you find him!?"

Sonic shook his head quickly and averted his eyes. He felt the car shift back into its normal speed. The reason he looked away was because whenever someone said something Chelsea would automatically assume someone had found Shadow, as would any other mother. But, it always came out as no and her eyes would just dull out. They would sometimes look even dead and Sonic already saw this once.

He didn't feel like seeing it again.

"I-I'm sorry mom-"

"It's alright sweetie. There's no need to apologize. What did you need?" she croaked. Her voice was scratchy and raspy. It sounded well like someone who just woke up except, she hasn't slept in 24 hours.

"I was wondering," he mumbled, "maybe I should run. It'll help cover more ground and we may be able to find Shadow faster."

Silence.

Silence was all that he had gotten. The only sound that they really only heard was the sound of honking horns and the tires running on the hardened tar. Sonic peered over to Silver who in return looked at him worriedly. The azure hedgehog's eyebrows rose in question and the other only shook his head and shrugged. "Can you say something?" he whispered.

Silver widened his eyes and answered harshly whispering, "Are you crazy!? I'm not going to ask. If she didn't answer it's probably her way of saying no."

"Will you just ask!"

"No! I don't want to."

"Fine. Keep us from finding Shadow then," Sonic shut his eyes and crossed his arms, "That's fine by me. It's all on you."

The metallic colored furry silently gasped and then fumed, "Oh, that's cold. You can't pin that on me!"

Sonic smirked, teasingly, and tilted his head to each side with every word, "I believe I just did."

"Why you-"

They both stopped and looked towards the front window shield when the car suddenly stopped. Sonic looked towards Silver and who, again, only shrugged. Why were they at a park? They've been to one during their search but they've never taking the time to actually observe the area. The two hedgehogs looked around at the park which was decorated with swings, slides and many other things someone would find at one. It wasn't a particularly a large one but, it was decent sized. The sound of a car door opening diverted their eyes from the scenery and to their mother, who got out of the car.

"Where are you going mom?" Silver asked a bit confused.

Chelsea smiled, tiredly, but, looked towards the lake off to the side. She started to walk towards it and said, "We're going to sit on that bench for a little while."

Silver nodded and said, "Oh," he looked towards Sonic, "She said we're just going to sit on the bench over there and-wait!" Golden orbs widened when the silver hedgehog realized the contents of the sentence. He reached over for the car door and opened it but he didn't get out. "Wait mom!"

Chelsea, who was halfway to the blue bench stopped. She looked towards the white car and cocked a head to the side. "What is it, honey?"

He looked towards the ground hesitantly and then towards his mother. "You mean, you want us to come with you?"

"Yes," she bluntly said and waved them over. "Come on now. We don't have all day."

Hurriedly, the two brothers exited the car and speedily walked towards the bench Chelsea walked towards. The three got to the blue bench soon after. It was apparent it was a bit old but not old as if it were ready to break if a feather landed on it. It was a nice simple bench that swung. Its chains connected to a long blue pole that sat, sturdy, in the ground.

The three beings sat on the bench in silence. In front of them was a small lake filled with fish and ducks. There were even little turtles poking their heads out of the water once in awhile. Grass blades swayed back and forth as the wind blew calmly.

Sonic and Silver observed the scenery with awe. Everything was just beautiful. There wasn't much here but it was enough to get them woah-ing every five seconds. It was so breathtaking how nature could create such beauty on its own. It was almost magical.

Chelsea exhaled heavily as she closed her eyes and leaned back. If only you could see. Sure, she seemed peaceful right now but, every living fiber in her body was screaming at her. How could she sit down when she should be looking for her child? One of her children just ran away and she wants to take the time to relax. It's only obvious she should be nominated for the best mother of the year award. But, as awful as it may sound, she really did need to relax. How would she be able to find one of the most precious things in her life if she could barely think straight? As hard as it was, Chelsea needed to rest. At least for an hour. The brain can't function if it doesn't have time to rest.

She was only human ya'know.

The young woman opened her ears. Yes, she opened ears. She listened for the calming sounds of the breeze. She heard the little chirps the tiny birds made. She noted the bucolic waters of the lake, gently lapping over each other. She breathed in the soft and light air that surrounded them. It was really a beauty.

"Mom?"

The young voice snapped her back from her deep meditation. She revealed her chocolate eyes and looked to her right to set her gaze towards the blue teenager. She sat up and said softly, "Just to think and relax. We haven't gotten much of it so I thought if we just sit here for a little bit we'll be a little bit more rested."

Sonic nodded and faced forward and the three plunged into silence again. Well, until the same hedgehog said something again.

"Oh, I just remembered, so about my question earlier. Is it alright with you if I search by running? I promise I won't let anyone see me. I'll run so fast all they'll think a storm is coming," Sonic exclaimed. The thought of running up to speeds unknown spiked his adrenaline.

Chelsea chuckled at the hedgehog's giddiness. "Well honey," she patted his head and ruffled his quills, "at least, try not to scare the people." She winced suddenly but hid it. She forgot quills were sharp.

Emerald orbs widened. "So does that mean…" he trailed off.

The young mother's nod was all she needed for him to get up and run off. Chelsea stood up and called out, "Be careful Sonic!" Three second later she heard a faint, "I will." She smiled and sat back down. She closed her eyes once more and Silver put his head on her lap. She gently massaged his quills carefully, as to not get poked again.

"I really do hope we find him," Silver stated.

"I know me too. I'm terrified. He's out there, all alone. I don't know if he's hurt or sick or if there's anything life threatening happening to him. I can't call anyone else to help and even if I did they wouldn't believe me. I'm so worried about him and it's all my fault we're even in this mess."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is. I should've been more patient with him, no matter what. I shouldn't have blown up. And it was his birthday of all days too!" Chelsea sighed heavily. She looked down at the silver hedgehog whom, also, gave her a stern but worried look. She chuckled sadly and whispered, "I just hope the Lord will forgive me."

Right there Silver took in her face. It was obvious, even to a blind person, that she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. Her eyelids were lazily, half-covering, red tinted eyes. She had dark circles under them and bags that even had bags. Her hair was in a frizzy bun and the pieces un-tucked were pointing in every direction. Her face looked lighter than the rest of her body, and he knew she hadn't eaten in awhile.

Silver casted his gaze over to the lake and studied the different birds that floated around. Even if you're not sure of something, sometimes, you just got to say it to make the ones you love happy.

"I think He already has mom. And I think Shadow will be alright. I knoe he can handle himself. I just know it."

The last day had been another failure. The trio had searched all day and up until one in the morning. Sonic and Silver had finally gotten their mother to get some real shut eye before continuing any longer. After nine hours the three had awoken from their heavy slumber. Chelsea had asked if any complication had occurred during the azure hedgehog's search and he only smirked and cockily said, "Nobody could see this sexy hedgehog." Of course the two had rolled their eyes and just walked away, to leave Sonic to wallow in his pride.

As quick as it came breakfast was gone. But after their meal the three had an empty feeling. Their stomachs were quite full but their hearts weren't. All throughout the meal it was silent, only having a few simple conversations spike. You could never really be full if a part of your heart was missing.

"Hey mom. Do you need help with that?" Sonic asked watching the dark-skinned woman collect the plates.

Chelsea shook her head. "No, honey. I'm alright. I think I can handle this. Why don't you go do what 16 year olds do?"

Silver groaned, "And what would that be?"

"How am I supposed to know? I haven't been sixteen for six years. I barely remember my twentieth birthday."

Today, she would've continued her search for the crimson male but, of course, of all the days, she had to work. She almost forgot about the job. If it wasn't for the glance at the calendar hanging on the wall she would've missed a day. With a, very, heavy sigh Chelsea made her way up the stairs, sluggishly, to hop in the shower. Her shift did start midday and, unfortunately for her, it 11:23.

Was she always this depressed? If she was then he needed to have a visit with his eye doctor again. But he was quite sure that his 20/20 and 20/25 vision was pretty accurate.

Drew watched as Chelsea walked towards a table with her head down. For an hour now he'd observed her closed in demeanor. She was so reserved all of a sudden. So…so…unhappy. That was all he could say. And when she was unhappy, everyone knew Drew was unhappy too. His hazelnut eyes narrowed as the young woman shined a smile which made him absolutely boil.

What a fake smile.

He waited, impatiently, for Chelsea to walk away from the table. As soon as she was a foot away he made a b-line to her. He was going to know what was wrong. He didn't care if she didn't want to tell him or not. He was _going _to know. That was the only way he could get rid of this annoying sting in his chest. He needed to turn that frown upside down. No matter how cheesy that sounded.

Drew planted his feet firmly in the middle of her path to the kitchen. Chelsea, who had her head down and the notepad to her chest, didn't see the tall man in front of her. She bumped into him causing her body to jerk back from the sudden impact. She took a few steps back wincing at the sudden impact. She held the notepad with one hand and rubbed her head with the other. "I-I'm sorry sir," she croaked, "I should've been paying attention to where I was going-" Chelsea stopped a when she looked up. She looked back down and whispered, "Oh, I'm sorry Drew. I wasn't looking."

"Why?"

His firm voice caused her eyes to snap up. But as quickly as they came up they went back down. She sadly stared at her feet, not having the strength to look at anybody. But his question did confuse her.

"What do you mean why?"

Her voice sounded so low and raspy it was horrible to his ears. The sting in his chest increased. Drew took her arm in his hand and said a bit more softly, "Why are you so depressed and unhappy? You're never like this. Did something happen to you or the other three" He took her other arm in his other hand. His stern demeanor diminished the moment she looked in his eyes. Her dark brown eyes were filled with so much hurt and worry. They looked tired and sore as if she'd spent the whole night crying. His eyes softened when tears brimmed her bottom eyelids.

"Please tell me Chelsea," he almost pleaded. It hurt him to see her like this. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable. It hurt him a lot more when Chelsea backed away from his hold and shook her head. She sniffled and smiled at the floor.

"I'm okay Drew. Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired."

He wasn't going to take that baloney. "Don't you lie to me Cee-Cee. You know how much I hate that."

"Like you don't do it," she snorted.

Drew's eyebrows scrunched together. He clenched his fist, irritated. "Hey, there's no need to be so snappy," his voice rose unexpectedly causing a few others to stare, "Now tell me what's wrong so I can-"

"Didn't I just tell you was okay! Why can't you get that through your thick skull? I'm fine, now back off!" Chelsea shouted. A second later she gasped and covered her mouth. What had she done?

Drew was a bit taken aback by this. He could feel the stares upon them but, that didn't matter right now. Whatever was troubling her was really taking its toll. He unclenched his fists as her eyes widened. He reached a hand out to her but Chelsea only back away. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot," she said repeatedly. She looked around and panted as if the walls were coming in.

"Chelsea?" he questioned.

"I'm so sorry Drew," she whispered before running off to the back. The tall, tan, man sadly looked towards the double doors which led to the kitchen. He whispered her name in wonder. He was about to take a step forward before someone touched his shoulder. Drew looked back to see Cathy's blue eyes look back with sadness. Her blond hair swayed as she shook her head.

"Don't go after her. She needs some time alone."

"You know what happened," he asked.

"No, not exactly. She only hinted something about the three children. All I got was that it was her fault and something happened to one of them. I believe the oldest? I'm not sure," the blonde said. "But you really do need to just give her some time."

"I know but-"

"I know you care about her, I do too, but, she really needs to think right now. It's for the best." Cathy smiled reassuringly towards him. "Don't you want that for her?"

Of course he wanted that for her but, he wanted her happy, now. But, there was nothing he could do at this point. Maybe Cathy was right. He should just give her time to cool off and he'll take a softer approach. Yeah, that'll do it.

With a nod and a grunt Drew and Cathy returned to their jobs. Although it was hard to watch the dark-skinned woman walk around as if her mother had died, they left her alone. And their day went one without any problems.

Okay, maybe just one.

It was about an hour till closing time and Chelsea and Cathy were making their last rounds with a few customers who were still dining. Drew had left earlier, something about a family get together. Anyway, a group of five men came in the door loudly. All you could hear was their obnoxious laughter and jokes. Cathy eyed them, taking a glance at her friend who also eyed the group of men.

"Do you want me to tell them to leave Chelsea?" Cathy said lowly. She snarled as one of them had their pants hanging at their thighs.

Chelsea snorted in disgusted but sighed. She rolled her shoulders and said, "No. Let's take them. But, if they show any signs of boys gone wild, we kick 'em out."

"Got it."

The two walked over to the group of men and put on their smiles. As they walked in they heard multiple curses and sentences that didn't make sense. Chelsea observed the five. There were two African-Americans and three Caucasians. All of them had baseball hats backwards, multiple tattoos, and unfortunately their pants were sagging way too low. She was about to say something but Cathy spoke first.

"Hello, how many people?" she asked cheerily but not enough to fool Chelsea who could pick up the venom leaking out of each word. One of them said something she didn't quite catch but it must've been funny because they all laughed. Chelsea rolled her eyes. Oh, how she wanted to say something but, she knew she couldn't. Even if she tried, she wasn't at her strong point right now.

"We five sweetie," one of them said. Cathy almost grimaced at their grammar but made sure to hold it. She nodded towards Chelsea who picked up five menus. Chelsea nodded towards them and timidly said, "Please follow me to your table."

"Whateva' you want baby," one of them purred. As Cathy and Chelsea walked with to the table they shivered as the men commented on them.

"Damn, do you see dat ass."

"I would hit me some of dat."

"Take the blond one and ride her like nobody's business."

"Yeah but ya hafta' go for da peach ass. Those are da nasty ones."

They all howled with laughter and high-fived each other. The two women almost swore they could hear them lick their lips. Cathy's blue eyes narrowed. "Boys gone wild, I repeat, boys gone wild," she hissed lowly for only the other's ears. Chelsea's eye twitched and she blew out a breath. "I know, I know. Let's just hurry up and get this over with. Don't make eye contact just say what you need to say, serve them and get out of there."

"Understood commander."

"Alright solider."

The two nodded and waited for the gang to sit. They handed their menus over and Chelsea said as politely as possible, "Can I start you off with a dri-"

"What kind of beer do y'all have?" one of them interrupted.

She faltered from the intimidating voice, "Oh, um we have Dogfish Head, Efes Pilsen, Heineken-"

"You have Budweiser?"

"Um, Cathy do we have that?" Chelsea looked over to her.

Cathy stared into her eyes trying to tell her it was alright. It was obvious to anyone Chelsea was scared, especially if her voice took a high pitch, which it did. The older of the two, the blonde, said firmly, "I'm sorry we ran out. It's one of the most popular brands."

"Well shit, why we here?" an African-American with a plain white T-shirt exclaimed slamming the table. Cathy never faltered while Chelsea jumped back a bit almost hiding behind the shorter one.

"But I have heard Heineken is almost there with Budweiser. Would you want me to go get it for you? It's just as good."

A Caucasian snickered, "I hope ya' just as good." They laughed again while Cathy sunk her nails in the palms of her hands.

"Naw but, we'll have dat. We good right fellas?" They nodded and Cathy left before she scratched one of their eyes out. Chelsea quickly took on foot too before one of them called her back.

"Hey you."

She stood frozen. Chelsea cursed mentally at herself. Why hadn't she taken the chance to kick them out before? She would forever be cursed with her stupid brain. Before any movement she whispered the Lord's Prayer. At the end she said, "Please help me through this."

Timidly, she walked back to the table with her head down. "Wh-what is it that you need sir?" she stuttered.

"I need an ice pack too cool this dick, "one joked.

"Hey! Hey! Show this lady some respect assholes." Another one which seemed to be the head of the group growled. He smirked towards her and looked her up and down. Chelsea felt insecurity flow through the pit of her stomach. She grabbed her arms and casted her eyes somewhere else.

"Isn't your fine self gonna serve us?" the same one purred.

Chelsea nodded and took out her notepad. "Oh, right. Yes. Thank you for reminding me-"

"No problem sweet cheeks."

"What is it that you would like?"

"Tell me what y'all have up in dis place."

Chelsea reached over and opened the menu in front of the, assumed, leader. As she leaned she could feel his eyes and the other's roam her body savagely. She ignored it with all her might as she pointed at various meals.

"Before I start, what do you guys like?"

One with dark brown eyes eyed her chest. "We like lots of chicken breasts. Lots of it."

Another person said, "And we always gotta have our meat darkened."

"And make sure it spicy but sweet and silky."

Chelsea smiled nervously and pretended to take notes. She started to lean away from them but one of them grabbed her hand causing her to almost fall on the table. She caught herself with her free hand and casted her glance over her shoulder. Where was Cathy? What the heck was taking her so long? She should've been back by now? She could really use her.

The terrified woman didn't let the horrible feeling show. She exhaled shakily. "Oh, so I take it you guys like meat?" she lowly breathed trying to distract herself from the hungry stares.

Too bad it wasn't for food.

The, assumed, leader, who was a black, tall, male nodded. He grinned savagely as his hand traveled towards her rear, unknown to Chelsea. "Yes," he began slowly, "we like our meat nice, juicy," his hand was almost there, "and very meaty." In a blink of any eye his hand was attached to her butt. He smacked and clutched it, shaking it.

Chelsea immediately jumped back and screamed in surprise. She went back far enough to detach her rear from the stranger's hand. She almost cradled her sore bottom. Tears threatened to flow as they hooted and howled in laughter. Others that were there stared in misery as they watched the young woman was smacked yet again. But, they did nothing about it. Chelsea backed away, from a now standing male.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness but I'm going to have to ask you and your friends to leave," she said trying to act brave.

Oh where, oh where was Cathy?

The black male growled deviously at her. "And who do ya' think you talkin' to bitch?" He grabbed her arm but she shook it off.

"Don't touch me!"

"I will if I wanna-"

"Hey! Is there a problem here?"

The six turned to look at the origin of the voice. Chelsea didn't get the chance to turn around before someone's arm wrapped around her waist. She gasped in surprise as the same person smoothly placed a ring on her left finger.

What the heck?

Her body screamed for her to run. Just to scream for help, for Cathy for anyone! But at the same time she couldn't find herself to move. Yeah, part of it was from the shock but most of it was from how gently this person held her. Chelsea wanted to melt in this person's arms. It was so warm so comforting. She felt as if she couldn't ever be harmed in this person's arms. Her heart pounded against her chest as the person kissed her cheek. When their lips touched her skin an intense spark of electricity jolted through her spine.

Who was this person?

Chelsea was snapped back from her warmth when the dark-skinned male in front of her said, "Noah? This your girl?"

Oh no. They knew each other. What if this person was just as bad? Why did she always have to put herself into bad situations?

"Yeah, she's more than that." Chelsea took time to actually listen to the voice. It wasn't deep but it was deep enough to know whoever was talking was a man. The way his hand glided down her arm made her chest pulse with warmth. He pulled up her finger and cockily said, "We're kind of married."

Chelsea stared in amazement as the group of men started to apologize tremendously. She cocked her head to the side as they got up and walked away, hurriedly. Why were they so quick to apologize? All of their voices were so much deeper than the one holding her, so why? It was as if they were scared of him. Whatever the reason, she wasn't going to question it any further.

The young woman tried to break free from the person but he wouldn't allow her. Instead he twisted her towards him to keep her in his arms. Chelsea fidgeted as arms swiveled her around. Her head found a blue colored shirt instantly. From the arms that encircled her she could see that this person was a bit lighter that Drew.

"Are you alright?" his voice silkily said.

Chelsea could only find the strength to nod. After a few seconds of hugging an unknown stranger she pulled away. Just as she caught eye sight of him she froze, once again.

Whoever this person was, was beautiful. The first thing she noticed was his electrifying blue eyes. They were almost a crystal color, shining brighter than any jewel she's ever seen. His, short, hair was a platinum blond color, almost silver. It lied messily but perfectly on his head. The skin of this stranger was soft and light. Not a pale color but almost nowhere near tan.

Her heart pounded with every passing second he looked into her eyes. Her chocolate irises traced each feature on his face with close proximity. How could anyone be so perfect? No. She can't be thinking these things. She had a son out there, all by himself and her she was wallowing herself in this man's appearance. She snarled at herself.

It was just sinful.

Chelsea, as hard as it was, forcibly, de-connected herself from Noah's arms. She smoothed out her uniform and looked to the ground. An empty feeling seared through her the moment the man's hands weren't touching her. She breathed in and exhaled shakily.

"Th-thank you for your help. I appreciate it." Her hands trembled but she didn't know why.

"No problem. By the way, if you didn't hear, my name's Noah," he cheerfully said stretching an arm out. Chelsea quickly shook it, noticing the spark again.

"Nice to meet you too. My name's Chelsea."

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

If it wasn't for the way he said it Chelsea would've rolled her eyes. If this guy was trying to get on her good side, it was working. She thanked him for his comment and looked into his eyes once more. She got lost, again, in the light pools of blue. They swirled with genuine joy and mirth, it was almost holy. She found herself almost leaning towards his eyes to get a better look but, luckily, she was able to catch herself.

"Well I'm going to get going. Oh, and can I have the ring back? It's important."

Chelsea absent mindedly nodded taking the ring off and handing it over to him. Noah smiled, kindly, at her and walked away putting the ring in his pocket. Chelsea, dreamily, stared after him until someone tapped her shoulder. She hummed in confusion and her brows dropped when a certain blond hair and blue eyed woman smiled at her with five beer bottles.

"Sorry I took so long," Cathy said, "I was hard finding these bottles. Hey! Where are those punks?" Chelsea only stared, blankly, at her.

"Did I miss something?"

Chelsea smacked the back of her head with every amount of strength she had left.

* * *

_So, what did you think? I run on feedback! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like and maybe something I could add. Anyway, as you can see this is where the second genre starts to show itself. There are many more chapters to some but it's getting there. Also, foreshadowed a bit there but it wasn't obvious so unless you pay attention to every detail I don't think you'll catch it. I didn't even know I was until I read it over! So, comments people!_

Thank You. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	17. What feeling have they not felt?

**Disclaimer: Sonic and anyone related belong to SEGA. Chelsea, Bulge and Darren belong to me.**

**Shadow: **_Now, they have to witness how much I hat everyone. i'm going to sound like a big emo. Thanks, thanks a lot._

**SunLove:** _Hey! It's all part of the story line buddy. Don't get all snappy on me. Just because I made you cry that one time doesnt mean you get to be...mean_

**Shadow:** _Yeah, whatever. Don't talk to me._

**Chelsea: **_Shadow...be nice, baby._

**SunLove:** _Haha._

**Shadow:** _Shut up, idiot._

* * *

Chapter 17: What other feeling have they not felt?

Walking, that's all he intended to do for the time being. For the longest time he walked on. He walked for so long, he barely remembered when he started running….er…gliding? He didn't know. He didn't even know how long he'd been on his feet. All he knew was that his feet wanted to get to someplace he really didn't know. An unknown destination.

It sounded better than where he was.

At least that's what Shadow thought for the first few hours. But now, he didn't know what to think. I mean-he was outside the house, runn-gliding to someplace he didn't know and on top of that he didn't even know if he was stable anymore. All his thoughts were jumbled up into one massive lump in his brain, which was giving him a killer headache. The emotions he never knew existed flooded the depths of his heart and stomach. But there was one thing he did understand. And there was so much of it.

The hate.

It was overbearing. It was as if it had the capacity of the Pacific Ocean yet it still fit inside his body. But, there was one thing confusing the ebony hedgehog. What was the hate directed towards? Of course, the first answer was directed towards his mother-well, caretaker. That's what she wanted him to call her. He didn't have the right to say that word anymore. Yeah, the hate was targeted on the dark-skinned human. It was only normal. Oh, how he hated her right now. She screamed at him, disowned him, and made his heart break into a million, irreplaceable, pieces. So, yeah, it was only normal that this amount of hate was directed towards her.

But, there were others to blame.

Like himself for instance. He wasn't entirely sure of why he hated himself. He didn't do anything. It wasn't his fault she'd blown up. So why did he feel so guilty. Why was he regretful of everything he'd ever said to anyone? Maybe it was because he never considered the consequences of his words. No, that couldn't possibly be it. Shadow was always told to be honest and when he wanted to be honest, he was sure to let it show. After all, honesty is the best policy. What an annoying phrase.

There weren't enough answers. There were never enough answers. All his life he was told to just keep looking forward. At least, that's what he told himself. Never look back on the past because you'll only regret it. That only applied to people who had a reason to regret their past doings. A category he deemed himself a part of.

There was one thing bugging him tremendously though. From what Chelsea had said; no one was put through any type of situation without cause. God does not just put anyone through a good or bad situation just for the fun of it. From what he'd learn, God always did put someone through something to benefit them in the end. That person may have received something or just learn something new. Whatever it was it was, it still did them good.

So what was the point of this? Shadow had gone through the situation as clearly and thoroughly as possible. He'd made out all the different possibilities of the ending of this problem and yet, none had seemed to benefit him. It didn't look like he would learn anything from this. It just didn't make sense. And for that, he blamed God.

What kind God put his children or loved ones through this kind of pain? It was unbearable. Shadow had always thought if you were to follow his word, obey his laws and just love him in general everything would work out for him. But, no. This wasn't right. What kind of loving father makes his children, who loved him with all their heart, go through pain like this? This wasn't love. It just couldn't be. Teach him a lesson, sure, but don't teach him like this. He would've gladly taken any other punishment instead of having his heart ripped raw from his chest.

His aching chest. It just hurt to think about anything because everything led back to the one's he loved. And as much as he hated to say it, he still loved his mother. Even if he hated her at the same time. Even if she abandoned him. Even if everyone abandoned him. He still loved everyone he's ever come to known. And he hated himself for that. It just didn't make sense anymore. Nothing made sense anymore.

He didn't make sense anymore.

His emotions were just confusing. That's why he stuck to two, the basics. Love and anger. He was going to be honest; he wasn't one to show the first. In fact, the ladder was something he was commonly known for in his used to be family. Nevertheless, there was no confusion with that feeling. He knew when he felt love and unknown to everyone he felt that everlasting, heart beating, sensation every day. There was never a time he felt indifferent. It was a mask. Simply a mask. The swing of emotions never ended, never died. They were all there.

The anger though…

He didn't feel the need to think about that. It was self-explanatory. Sometimes, his anger got the better of him. He wasn't afraid to admit that but, he always had a reason. A reason that was logical, at least to him. Sometimes he didn't know where the anger came from. It just…he didn't know. All he knew was that even after a few minutes of contemplating he still had a reason. Moreover, it was always a pretty good one too. No matter where the anger was.

Speaking of which, where was he? Shadow blinked taking a moment to observe his actions. He was still gliding, although he would have to figure out why, that was a start. He slowly minimized the speed of which his legs were going until he went into a complete stop. The ebony hedgehog stood with an o shape formed upon his lips in wonder. His quills swayed along with his head each time it moved.

A forest.

He was in a forest. It wasn't hard to tell. The mass overload of trees and leaves left the burning sun to minimize its shine to a lamp. The ground was heavy with sticks, dirt and dead leaves making Shadow question himself on how he got through it so easily. He would've guessed running in this would be a bit difficult. Well, how would he know? He's never exactly been in a forest before until now. And that in all sort of freaked him out. Well, maybe not freak him out but more so create a bit of panic.

What was he supposed to do now? Where was he supposed to go? He sure as hell wasn't going to go back to his former home so, what now? There was nothing he could do. He could barely see through the dense forest. It was so thick and heavy it almost made it impossible to see. He couldn't stay here. That was a no brainer. But, where would he go? Yes, he was the proclaimed 'Ultimate Lifeform' but that was in an anime. A show drawn for the entertainment of kids. As much as it hurt his pride, he was no Ultimate Lifeform. He couldn't battle robots, he could barely poke a straw into a Capri Sun!

This was not good. He hadn't really thought about what to do after he left. He just went up and walked out. That was really it. All that ran through his head was to get out of there and fast. The stress, pressure, anger and sadness had overwhelmed him to the point where he questioned his sanity. Right after he bellowed at his younger sibling he immediately took flight. He knew if he stayed one more second bad things were bound to happen.

Shadow shook his head of the azure hedgehog. He'd hurt him, he knew that. It was a horrible feeling. But now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts. He had to think of something or, he'd surely die soon. With a heavy sigh at his upcoming journey, with only his wits and a will to survive, Shadow trekked on. He walked slowly wanting to observe the new surroundings. Like mentioned before, he's never been in a forest so, this wasn't an opportunity he was going to dismiss. And plus, nature sort of had this thing about him that made him feel…...weightless.

Maybe that would take his mind off his, two ton, heavy conscience.

Silver and Sonic collapsed on the bed. The azure hedgehog huffed heavily as the silver one's eyelids drooped heavily. It had been another day of thorough searching. Again, like any other day, Chelsea had brought them on another day that ended a failure.

It had been three whole days since Shadow's disappearance and ever since he disappeared, nobody's been the same. It was obvious to the naked eye that Chelsea wasn't taking this very lightly but, what of the boys?

The two hedgehog's were in their room, the clock read 12:57 a.m. Three minutes till one. Silver, who still lay face up, sighed heavily. He was exhausted. Three days of barely any sleep was really killing him. But, he couldn't be selfish. Shadow was out there by himself. He probably hadn't gotten any sleep. Yet again, who would when your 17 and alone?

Silver shivered.

The feelings his older brother must have must've been frightening. What if he was seen? What if he was kidnapped or worse? What if he was starving? What if he was cold? What if he was hurt? What if…what if he felt abandoned? Silver couldn't deal with the question. It was a what if question but, they held some possibility. No one should feel abandoned. And even if everyone were to abandon him, which would never happen, he should know one person would always be beside him. And that was God himself.

From day one, Silver believed that if the whole world was against you God would still stand by you. He might not agree with your actions but He still loved you nonetheless. The metallic colored furry had no doubt about that.

With a satisfied feeling suddenly filling his stomach, he turned his head to his brother. Sonic lied there, sweaty with labored breathing. Silver's ears lowered a bit as he smiled in understanding. He was exhausted. Anyone could tell. The poor hedgehog ran around for the entire day. Silver could almost feel the pain in the azure hedgehog's legs. Sore. That's all he could think of when he looked at Sonic.

"You must be tired," he spoke, feeling the need to start conversation.

Sonic shrugged, breathing less heavier, "I am but I don't care." He put his hands on the back of his head and shuffled, getting comfortable, "It's for Shadow. I would run around the whole world if it meant getting him back."

Silver's smile widened and he didn't exactly know why. He already knew Sonic felt that way, as well as everybody in this house but something just made his heart warm when he spoke. He couldn't exactly find the words to describe the feeling but it was similar to how someone would feel after a mother was reunited after years of separation. It just made your heart tickle with warmth.

"I know how you feel. It's just hard to fathom the idea of not having him around. It's just…lonely."

The cerulean male nodded breathing back to normal, "Yeah. At least we don't hafta' worry about getting attacked when we call him an emo," he added with a chuckle.

Silver thought that was supposed to be funny. Unfortunately the amount of melancholy the voice held deceived the purpose. He just smiled a small one and faced the ceiling, once again.

He wouldn't mind his older brother attacking him. He wouldn't mind Shadow scolding him or even putting him down. He also wouldn't mind the ebony hedgehog hating him or being upset with him. At least he would be able to hear his voice. At least he would be able to physically see him.

At least he would be here.

It's kind of hard imagining a world without Shadow. As much as it would lighten up the scenery (no offense to him or anything) it just wasn't possible. Sometimes, a picture needs the dark colors to contrast the lighter ones. Otherwise, the picture is not complete. No matter how much we may hate or despise the darker parts it still makes the image whole. It still made them beautiful. Shadow made this family complete.

He made them beautiful, in his own way.

Why won't he just come back?

Why couldn't humans just check in when they were supposed to? This would've never happened. Those unintelligent, stupid, things could at least do what they were told. What a waste of breathe.

Darren's eyes narrowed at the screens in front of him. He clenched his teeth in irritation and squeezed the remote in his hand almost to the point of destroying it. He pinched the skin in between his eyes and sighed heavily.

Why couldn't anything go his way?

Bulge, the mole, trembled with fear as Darren suddenly started to shake with uncontrollable rage. He gulped before asking, daringly, "I-is e-everything alright sir-"

He jumped back and gasped as the ebony hedgehog slammed his fist on the desk where the monitors lay. Darren growled, furiously, at the trembling mole and bellowed, "Of course not you idiot! This impeccable waste of life has just lost one of our projects and you have the ignorance to question my sanity!? I should kill you on the spot!"

Where was Anthony when you needed him the most? Bulge's teeth chattered with high speed and he gripped the clipboard as if his life depended on it. He shook his head and shakily replied, "N-no sir! I wasn't questioning your sanity. I just… I just…" he trailed off not knowing what the next word of his sentence was. He just stood there, sweat running down his temple. If he said anything wrong, at this rate, he would surely be gone by sunrise.

"Well then," Darren huffed, "Because I have so much to deal with, I will spare you." He turned his back on the brown mole ignoring him completely. He crossed his arms and glared at the screen. There were two hedgehogs, a blue one on the floor and a silver one racing into the room. He eyed the screen carefully before switching over to another one. One with a darker human being wrapped up in lavender colored sheets. He growled at the picture and bared his fangs.

Oh, how those specimens bugged him.

Just looking at them made his skin crawl. But how much he hated them wasn't going to solve the current situation at hand. He needed to think of something. Right now, this so called female caretaker, which he had yet to learn her name- although he didn't think it was useful- was now in a state of sadness. He personally has never gone through such emotions so he didn't particularly care how this human felt. He just needed to use this to his advantage. But how?

"You, mole," he pointed his voice sharp. The mole jumped from doodling on the clip board and exclaimed, "Y-yes sir!"

Darren rolled his eyes at him. If he was so scared of him, why was he here? He narrowed his eyes before saying, "Do you know the effects of the emotions running through the caretaker? What will happen after her tears have dried?"

The mole almost questioned his question; key word being almost. Except, he was smart enough to bite his tongue and answer what he needs answered.

"U-um I have observed that certain types of emotions can have a lasting effect on humans."

Darren growled with impatience, "Yes, yes but, what are they, boy? Answer my question!"

"The ones Chelsea is going through right now, I believe are stress, regret and unhappiness. I'm sorry but, I'm not 100% sure on what the effects are but they usually cause depression, anxiety and distrust in one's self. Some may or may not reach self-harm but that is only in extreme cases."

Who knew? No wonder this useless race is so weak. They can't even fight against their own feeling, which harvest within them. The ebony male chuckled at the last sentence. 'Some may reach self-harm.' It would be pleasurable to see all of them kill and torture their own-selves because of these emotions. But this was not the point.

Now that he knew what….Chelsah?... was going through. He needed to form a plan. Get the project back and then destroy her self-trust so that she is forced to think she cannot handle the three. After that his plan might as well be done.

He was such a genius.

"What are the relationships they survive on?" He had an idea.

"There are spouses, family related items, friends, a temporary or long lasting partner-" Bulge said before the other's voice cut in.

"What do you mean by temporary partner? Don't they stay with the person they have relationships with?"

"Yes but according to studies, this certain types of species have a different system then us. Although we do walk, talk, etc. We do have some animal instincts. Meaning, we do follow certain customs, in relation any other animal. To us it is alright to see another person but," Bulge's face flushed red, "once the two have mated then they are like spouses. Although some may leave each other it is looked down upon, it's very rare though. Anyway, humans don't exactly follow these customs. After any sort of intimacy they are not obligated to stay with the person they mate with. It is accepted that they may separate, before and after courting."

"Do all humans do that?" He may have to tweak his idea.

"No. Not all. Most do but, if you want to know about Chelsea, I can tell you she will not do this. There are certain types of people, do to religion, that wait for any sexual contact. Meaning, she will see a person for some time, and marry before mating."

He had to admit, this mole seemed more useful than he looked. His little lecture just gave him a plan which would guarantee success. Or the first time since he landed on this miserable laboratory, Darren gave the biggest smile he'd ever have. It was the kind without any genuine mirth. It was the kind without any holy joy. No. His smile was poured in and saturated with sadistic joy and happiness.

It was the kind that scared the hell out of Bulge.

Before anything could happen Darren pointed towards the mole and exclaimed, "I need you to bring me the Captain of the camera center. I believe a word with them has been well overdue."

* * *

**Chelsea: **_Now you two, what have I told you about fighting?_

**SunLove & Shadow:** _*Dully* it only makes eveything worse. We're sorry._

**Chelsea: **_Good. Now, SunLove, you go and give your note and, baby, you go and play with your brothers or something._

**SunLove & Shadow: **_Okay..._

_Well, now that that's over why dont we go over some stuff, huh? Well, sorry this is so short- well at least to me. I'm getting bombarded with homerwork and...well... it's not pretty. All i have to say is that i hat school. Yeah, i think that sums it up. Anyway I'm trying my best to upload stories and I can only say that I can get one chapter done each week. Maybe two? But, now to the story, we have learned a bit more about Bulge and Darren. Well, we all can infer that Darren is, of course, the bad guy. He despises humans and any other species that's not his. it's really weird actually. We also saw a bit of Shadow's whole intake on this. And please excuse the title. I'm running out of creativity._

_Dang school._

_Anywho, that's all I'm saying. Hope you enjoyed!_

Thank You. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	18. Where?

**Silver: This took you forever! Gosh, people are waiting for you to write!**

**SunLove: I know, I know.**

**Sonic: Tsk tsk.**

**Shadow: Maybe it's because you're focusing more on your other story. So that's how it is, huh? You like that one more than this one.**

**SunLove: What! No! I love all my stories the same!**

**Silver: I have never been this hurt in my life.**

**Sonic: You might as well ditch us.**

**SunLove: You guys give me a headache. *Turns to readers* Read the story while I go and fix this mess.**

**Disclaimer: **Sonic and anyone related belongs to Sega. All Ocs belong to me.

* * *

Chapter 18: Where?

Silver didn't know what to do.

He was never trained for this kind of situation. When your mother was pacing around freaking out, it was kind of hard to keep yourself under controlled. The metallic colored hedgehog's eyes followed her trembling form as it zipped from one place to another. It was confusing and overwhelming to see Chelsea run around hyperventilating, crying and shouting out for any help. He desperately needed Sonic right now, but he was out looking for the ebony hedgehog.

"Mo-mom, please," he pleaded putting his hands up, "calm down. You're going to get sick."

Chelsea paid no attention to him and his words. They didn't help to find Shadow. And if it didn't help to find it meant nothing to her. Although, she didn't think having a break-down was helping but she didn't care. It was helping her; helping her from going crazy.

Or hasn't she already?

The young woman raced around putting her hand through her hair and then searching, widely, for an unknown object before returning to her busying. "We need to find Shadow," she whispered at first then as she paced her voice got louder. "We need to find him, my God, we need to find him. It's been four whole days!" She put the edges of her fingers in her mouthing chewing on the already chewed nails.

"We need to find him. My baby can't survive out there," she mumbled to herself repeatedly.

Silver looked around for someone; anyone. He silently prayed for the Lord to do something. Knocking her out would even suffice. Anything but this. She looked mad. She looked as if she were on the brink of insanity. It was awful seeing her like this. He needed to do something. Now.

"Mother, please," he begged again, "I know you're worried about Shadow but we won't find him if you're like this!"

She turned to him and glared with such malice. This was the time he really got to see his mother. Her chocolate eyes were surrounded by a pinkish-red color instead of white. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears and the above her upper lip, snot rolled down. The bottom lip was bruised and bloody from her teeth sinking in them. The black tornado, she called hair, was knotted and frizzy making it impossible to figure how she detangled her hand from it. The gray, baggy, sweat shirt she wore was crinkled and he could see wet tear stains around the collar. She wore shorts that she'd been in for three days.

A blind person could see she was not in her right mind.

Her eyes held so much hurt and worry. They held this kind of insane look that scared Silver so much. There was no trace of the love he used to see. Her warming smile was no longer existent. She never smiled anymore. It was just gone. She was, literally, a human being filled with misery. She wasn't Chelsea anymore, not in this state.

She wasn't his mother.

"You're damn right I'm worried about him," her shout made him wince, "Silver he's out there, outside. None of you know the first thing about the world out there. It's horrible, cruel. He needs to be here. Right now! Silver bring him back!" she cried. Fresh hot tears cascaded down her face as she moved in closer to him.

Silver stood there, blankly. He didn't know what to do or what to say. He just stood there as Chelsea moved closer to him and shouted her distress. When she was within a foot from him she continued, "I need him back Silver. I did this. It's all my fault. None of this would've happened if I just shut my mouth." Chelsea covered her eyes with her hands and bent over sobbing.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!" She then collapsed in front of him as violent sobs ripped from her throat. Her fragile form trembled with each sound she made.

She deserved every punishment there was. She ran one of her children off. Their own mother, the one that was supposed to love and cherish them, turned against him and made him feel as if he wasn't loved. It was sinful. So sinful. It made her sick just to be in her own skin. The feeling that her own to lips formed words that broke the ebon hedgehog's heart was retched horrible, to put it lightly. It made her want to regurgitate everything's she's ever said or done. Chelsea had even doubted her role on this Earth. Why was she here if all she did was cause pain? She needed an answer or she just might go completely insane.

As she continued her cries of woe Silver kneeled down and wrapped his arms around her. That was all he knew and could do at this moment. He couldn't say any other word but, "Pray," to her. That was all. He didn't offer any words of comfort or words of hope. He just said the four lettered word and kept quiet as she drenched his chest with tears. He'd begun to think that she'd paid no heed to his word until she started to mumble incoherent words which got louder and louder.

But that was alright.

Her prayer didn't need to make sense to him. It didn't need to make sense to anyone but herself and God. That was all there was to it. Just pour your heart out to him and he will do the rest. So, as Silver rubbed her back in comfort and tried to be that silent comforter. Chelsea screamed and pounded on his chest but he still continued to close his eyes and rub her back, soothingly.

And they continued to stay like that for as long as they could remember.

"Mom, you're going to go, now. I don't care what you have to say," Sonic stated with firmness. He planted his hands on his hips and his features were set with a grim expression.

"Are you crazy!?" Chelsea exclaimed.

"No, you are."

She ignored that but still continued, "You expect me to go to work while one of my children just ran away. Are you insane Sonic? I'm not going to do that, no matter what you say. I will do no such thing!"

"Oh yes you will! Mom listen," he said sternly and right up front, "I know this is hard. I might not ever understand what you're going through but this job of yours, I've noticed, makes you a bit lighter."

Chelsea's brow rose, "Are you saying that I look as if I've lost weight when I come back because that's not only rude but I know that's not true." She crossed her arms and glared warningly at the azure male.

Sonic chuckled, releasing some of his hard demeanor. He sighed and smiled a little soft one. "No, mom. What I'm saying is that, no matter how 'tired'," he made quotations around the word earning a grunt from the young woman, "you are, I can always see you're happy. You might've not realized this, but you always seem to smile when you get back."

"I don't understand, baby. What does that have to do with anything?"

Sonic looked to the ground suddenly embarrassed. His face flushed to an unbearable color and he scratched the back of his neck, chuckling nervously.

"Well, I thought, maybe, if you went, you would be happier. I just…I don't know."

And the thing was, he really didn't know. The idea sounded so good, so well-thought out in his head that he was confident in the idea. He thought it was brilliant. In truth, it really was but as Sonic said it...he didn't know. It just sounded, sappy. But the only reason he thought of this was because of what he said. He wanted to make his mother happy. Her depressed state had taken a toll on everybody in the house. He couldn't even find the strength to find the positive in things anymore; and when he walked in on Silver and Chelsea on the floor. Well, let's just say, he didn't take it very well.

I mean, he didn't go all out and freak out. No. Well, not exactly, he guessed. He just silently walked up into his room and sat on his bed. That's all he did. Sit. Sonic didn't really know what else to do. After another four hours of failure and then coming back home to see someone in pieces was a lot to take. And the thing was, it hadn't even been a week since his birthday. Since their birthday.

When you celebrate the day you were born, brought down from God's mind and into the world, it wasn't the ideal way to celebrate such a creation. They did, in fact, celebrate it the normal way, one that was filled with heavenly sugar. But it didn't end the way he, particularly, hoped.

And as Sonic sat there and thought about how his elder brother had walked out on them he got angry.

Sonic growled loudly before taking a nearby object and throwing it against his wall. Poor remote. He huffed and puffed before taking another one and throwing it against the mirror. It cracked greatly but no shards fell.

How could he? How could that selfish excuse of a hedgehog just walk out on them? How could he be so stupid? Didn't he know when he walked from the house he was going to tear this family apart? Didn't that he know that he literally took all of them away from themselves? He was angry, but he had no reason to do what he did. Sonic growled again before kicking his bed and roaring,

"YOU SELFISH BASTARD!"

Right when he put his hands on the wall and leaned over, panting, tears started to form. They slowly cascaded down his flaring cheeks and silently dripped to the carpeted floor. "Why?" he wheezed softly, punching the wall, lightly and slumping to the floor. And there, he just put a hand over his face and wept into it as it were his mother's chest.

Yeah, that was it. So, in order to keep his sanity, he needed to make Chelsea happy. If she was at least a bit lighter he thought, maybe, his heart would feel a lot less heavy. Maybe, it would bring their broken pieces in a small pile instead of away from each one.

"Please go, mom," he whispered. "I would make me…" he looked up, those shiny emerald orbs glittering with unshed tears.

Chelsea gasped silently. Why was he so emotional about this? She didn't understand but she wasn't about to say no to that face. A bit startled, she nodded and exclaimed, "Baby, don't…just don't cry. I'm going, see?" she started up the stairs, "I'll go, Sonic. Don't cry sweetie. Whatever makes you happy." She stayed for a second longer before heading to her room.

Sonic nodded smiling. He sniffled before shaking the tears away and laughed at himself. "What a cry baby," he muttered to himself. He then walked away too busy himself with something.

(0….)

Chelsea wiped the table clean with the wash cloth. She scrubbed the clean surface plenty of times but for some reason, the slick wooden table, just didn't seem right. Each time she cleaned it she looked for her reflection, and to no one's surprise, it was there. It had been there ever since the first time she'd cleaned it but, still, it wasn't right. Something wasn't right. It was as if the reflection was cloudy and gray. It wasn't recognizable. Everything about it was off. The dark-skinned girl with a high pony-tail, loose strands everywhere, and dark eyes wasn't the one she recognized. Her face clouded with misery and darkness. Her eyes dimmed with inexplicable emotions. It couldn't possibly be her, therefore something was wrong with the table.

She scrubbed and cleaned and scrubbed and cleaned. Chelsea took both of her hands and pushed back and forth making a horrible squeaking sound. Luckily she was on the side of the restaurant where customers weren't, but even if there were others around her. She could care less. Something was wrong with this table and she needed to fix it. No matter what.

So, as the young woman scrubbed with all her might, she was too busy to notice someone come up behind her. "Stupid table," she grunted. Chelsea nearly jumped when a deep chuckle split through her thoughts. She immediately turned around, wash cloth behind her. Her eyes suddenly widened as she took in the man from the other day.

Noah.

His name never left her mind. It might've been tucked away somewhere, but not somewhere where she couldn't reach it. A shaky breath left her lips as he politely waved at her and smiled. She felt her grip on the napkin tighten as his electrifying blue eyes swirled with amusement. She almost fell as he spoke.

"Is something wrong there?" he asked with a raised brow.

Her brown eyes scanned his lavender collared shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, that was tucked in his black dress pants. It was unusual that he was dress up but she wasn't going to say she didn't support it. The question almost passed by her until it finally registered, a minute.

"N-no!" she exclaimed, stuttering. She then realized she was yelling and shrunk back turning her back to him. An exhale left the girl's lips and Chelsea shut her eyes tightly.

Shadow was really messing up her mind.

At least that's what she thought.

Yeah, it was him. If Sonic would've just let her continue to look for him, she wouldn't be so jittery. She needed to find him. Who cared about this job!? It was only something for her to do. It wasn't like she needed. But if she didn't go Sonic would've probably started crying and right now, she couldn't handle that. Honestly. But it has been five days and counting. She'd realized that Shadow could, or was fully capable, of handling himself. In the anime, many fanfictions just as a character in general he was known for this. He could survive anywhere and he could go well beyond a month without food or water because he solely lived off of chaos energy. At least in the animation world. But that's just it.

She had no way of knowing if that was true.

This was the real world. A world where things like Black Doom and Eggman weren't real. The three hedgehogs she harbored now weren't even supposed to be real. None of this was supposed to be real. And that confused her. How was she supposed to know what is real and what is not? Right now, she didn't know what to think or do. Everything she's ever known has done backflips into the sunset.

How was she supposed to know if Shadow was even alive?

She couldn't even ponder on that possibility right now. That was way too much to handle. Her grip on the cloth tightened to the point where she was sure her nails had bended back. Chelsea could feel oncoming tears fill her eyes. And when she opened them they blurred her vision tremendously. She sniffled and whispered a distant, "Why?"

Why did this have to happen to her?

"Hey, are you alright, miss?"

Chelsea rubbed her eyes but it only made the tears fill her lids more. She kept her back towards the man. The tears rolling down her cheeks would probably scare him off and even though she rather preferred to be alone, there was some part of her wanting to keep him there.

"Y-yeah. I'm alright," she chirped, watery. She cursed as her voice cracked.

Noah's light brows furrowed together. He scowled. "You don't sound alright to me." He reached for her arm. When his hand locked onto her limb Chelsea felt her arm tingle with warmth. She gasped as he spun her around to face him. She tried to keep her head down but when his voice turned hard and he commanded, "Look at me," she couldn't help but to follow orders. She didn't know why, but she did and by the time she had realized what she'd done it was too late. As his blue orbs swirled with concern they also held a bit of….well, something she couldn't place.

"Tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

The hot tears ran down faster and faster as the two looked at each other, silence surrounding them. Her arm was in a tight lock and their bodies were close together. Her other hand laid on his chest and she felt the calming rhythm of his breathes. She was supposed to feel the warmth that radiated off of his body. Well, she did feel hot but not in a way she expected. Instead, a feeling of rage filled her chest. Chelsea's eyes narrowed at Noah who's in turn narrowed.

"Let go of me," she hissed. When he shook his head she started to squirm out of hands. "Let go of me or I'll scream." And just like that, his hands dropped. Chelsea tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and wiped her face of tears. Her brows furrowed with anger and she stepped back. "I appreciate your concern sir, but it is none of your business and I'll appreciate it more if you didn't put your hands on me." She rolled her eyes before turning on her heal and as she was about to leave he said, defeated, "Look, I'm sorry."

Her feet stopped and she crossed her arms. She turned around, body leaning on one leg. Chelsea felt her heart hammer against her chest when Noah ran a hand through his messy blond hair. She took the time to study it and noticed he was a platinum blond. Actually, she narrowed her eyes, his hair almost seemed to be white. Her head titled as she gazed upon the hair and was snapped back to reality after he had said, "I just, don't like seeing others upset. I apologize for my behavior."

His cerulean irises focused on the floor and a sigh escaped his lips. Noah's hand rubbed along the back of his head. The self-disappointment on his face willed her to drop the attitude. It might've been her state of mind but she let go of her anger. Her arms dangled at her sides and she sighed also. She shook her head before going up to him and bowing. Noah hummed in confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Excuse me sir. I'm sorry," she stood straight and smiled tiredly, "I have a lot going on in my life and, well, as you can see, I'm not in the best shape of my life," she referenced to her dirtied uniform and messy hair. "I know I was rude and I'm so very sorry for that. I shouldn't have talked to you that way; especially what you did for me the other day."

Noah shook his head and a tiny smile appeared on his lips. "No problem. And don't worry about it. It wasn't in my place to ask anyway. And it was out of line to touch you. My mistake. I'm impulsive," he started to scratch his chin, "Maybe that's why I don't have a girlfriend."

The two shared laughs. Noah smiled brightly as Chelsea held a hand to her mouth to contain her giggles. Next, she put a hand out and he raised a brow.

"It was nice meeting you. My name's Chelsea."

He took her hand pulling his mouth to her ear. The touch of his skin on hers caused her hand to tingle.

"You said that already."

(0…)

"Ok, we need to really find him. This has gone on for way too long," Chelsea stated in front of the two hedgehogs who nodded. "Let's go," she went to grab her keys but Silver reached out and grabbed her forearm.

"Hold on mom. That's why we haven't found him."

"What do you mean?"

Sonic stood up. "We need to think of places Shadow's most likely to be. We can't just go out and search for him effectively. We need guidelines."

Chelsea nodded, "You guys are right. We won't get anywhere if we don't search properly." She sat down and folded her arms. Her left leg started to bounce rapidly as she thought of places the crimson striped hedgehog would go. She rubbed her temples.

"If I were Shadow the Hedgehog, where would I go?" she quietly asked herself. Silver and Sonic also hummed while they thought. Suddenly Silver snapped his fingers. "I got it!"

The other two opened their mouths with excitement, their lids open wide with expecting eyes. "What is it!? Where?" cried Chelsea.

"He would go someplace dark because, ya'know, he's all emo and whatnot. So, maybe we should go to an alleyway or something," the silver furry said. He crossed his arms smiling, proud at himself for thinking so brilliantly.

It was silent until Sonic came out, bursting with laughter. He held his sides as though they would split while Silver's eyes widened. "What's so funny," he asked, confused. He turned his golden eyes to his mother who glared him down. His ears lowered. "What!?" he exclaimed.

Chelsea rubbed her forehead. She sighed and clenched her teeth. "We are going to forget you said that, alright?"

"But what did I-"

"I said," she shouted, then lowered her voice, "we are going to forget you _ever_ said that, okay?" Silver just shrunk back blushing terribly. He played with his fingers completely avoiding her gaze.

Chelsea's eyes averted to the azure hedgehog who was still laughing, giddily. "Sonic," she warned. Said hedgehog covered his mouth, shoulders shaking. He wiped away a tear and stumbled, "O-okay, okay. I'll stop," he chuckled, "Good one Silver."

The young woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "If you two don't mind, can we please get serious? I don't know if you two realize this but this is a serious situation," she growled. She waited, irritant, for everyone, or Sonic who still chuckled, to calm down. When all was quiet she sighed and sat back.

"Now, really, where would Shadow go? He's never been anywhere."

Silver scratched his chin. Where would he go? It wasn't as if Shadow had been driven around the town. None of them had. They had lived inside their entire life. There was no possible way they could narrow down the search. The only places they've been are the backyard. That's about it and there couldn't…

Wait….

Wait a gosh darn minute!

Silver stood up quickly, eyes wide, teeth showing in a full blown smile. He slammed the table they sat around causing the other two to jump. Sonic was the first to react.

"Jeez Silver, what's your problem?" he exclaimed, the fur on his neck rose from the slight scare.

Chelsea tilted her head, "Silvy, what's the mat-"

"The beach, mom! The beach, maybe that's where Shadow is!"

* * *

**Silver: Well, I just think we should drop this before someone gets hurt.**

**Shadow: I agree.**

**Sonic: Dido.**

**SunLove: WHAT! YOU GUYS ARE THE ONE HOLDING ME OVER A FIREPIT! **

**Sonic: No need to yell. Sheesh.**

Thank You. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	19. Found

**SunLove: Oh my...**

**Silver: What?**

**Shadow: She's almost hit chapter 20.**

**Sonic: Not to mention she's typed over 80K words.**

**SunLove: *Faints***

**Silver: Well this is a problem...**

**Disclaimer: Sonic and anyone related belongs to Sega. OCs belong to me.**

* * *

Chapter 19: Found

The sand on his aching soles felt nice. Really nice. Each crystal engulfed and massaged his red striped feet, getting a pleasing sigh out of the ebony hedgehog's lips. The crisp air that surrounded him, blowing his quills west, brought his eyelids to a close. He enjoyed each time the waves crashed onto the shore playing their soothing music.

This was paradise, and he was going to enjoy it.

For five days, five troublesome days, Shadow had been wondering around like a lost puppy. He had no idea where he was going, he was just going. At the mark of day three he almost turned back. He almost wimped out. Deep inside of him, he wanted to go home. He wanted to just feel the warmth he always felt around the three he missed, terribly. Shadow wanted to able to sleep in his bed instead of a tree, he wanted to eat eggs and bacon for breakfast instead of fruit he had to search for. He wanted to take a bath. But most of all, most of all he wanted Sonic, Silver and….and Chelsea back. He wouldn't admit this to himself, but it was there. Deep inside of him. But as soon as he was about to turn on his heel, and use his instincts to search for that place, he growled.

How weak could he possibly be? It had only been 36 hours and he was already feeling a strong urge to go back. Who did that? Shadow obviously left for a reason, he wanted out. He couldn't live there anymore. The relationship he had with his mother was destroyed in a matter of minutes, because of simple words. Words he should've been cautious of. But wasn't she supposed to deal with what he said? Wasn't Chelsea supposed to keep her head when the child didn't? It was her responsibility to be patient with the child, however out of hand they could get. So, in truth, it basically wasn't his fault. It was all hers. So he had no reason to turn around. If she were searching for him, which he was sure she was, he hoped she didn't find him. He really did. He didn't want to see her or any of them. He was better off.

Shadow opened his eyes glaring at the sea, the same one that brought him such soothing rhythms. His shiny orbs traveled all of the white foam and crystal blue water. As his eyes left the ocean they traveled over to the sand and scanned the yellow crystals. Each one sparkled against the heat bearing sun. Father out he could see the moving waves of heat but that didn't really matter to him. But what did matter was that this specific place was so inhabited. He expected at least a couple of humans to be here, but he found none. He really could care less if they saw him, but that wasn't the point. Why wasn't there activity at such a beautiful place? He wasn't an expert on human activity but he sure beaches were a common place to go to. So this was a bit weird.

But it had nothing to do with him so shadow just shrugged. The sweltering heat caused beads of sweat to roll down his temples. To shade his eyes he covered them with his hand, observing the ocean once again. As of now, he was shoeless. Only his naked feet stood on the silky sand. Shadow looked down on them creating tiny circles with his toes. He cringed at the size of them before looking back at the crashing waves.

Let's get one thing straight. Shadow the Hedgehog didn't like water. Well, when it comes to swimming. In general, he wasn't afraid of it but at the same time he preferred to be on dry land. He was kind of in the middle between his brothers. Sonic, being the one who was terrified of it and absolutely despised even the idea. And Silver who had an obsession with it. Not so much of an obsession but he liked it enough that he would never pass the opportunity to swim. He was kind of in the grey area between black and white. And as he gazed over the crystalline water.

Well, it looked so good.

He had never felt how the ocean felt. It was stupid, but would it feel any different from the water he drank? Would it be harder, softer, would it taste the same? All these random questions kept popping in his head that he barely realized he was moving towards the blue water. One foot at a time he traveled over to the water that crashed against the wet sand. Each time it would crash at a place higher than before coloring the sand a darkened yellow before returning to its lowered status. Shadow's feet stopped at the tippy top of the dampened sand. His nerves were at an all time high and he found himself scrunching his brows together, scowling.

What if this hurt him? What if the content in the water was something hedgehogs were not supposed to be exposed to? He might have some human characteristics, but he was still a hedgehog. There were certain rules he had to follow. So what would happen if his foot would to touch this water? He needed to know. Shadow wasn't the type of person to fully jump in something without knowing all the facts. Excuse him for not wanting to cut his life short. But, indeed, there was no one here to inform him about this water. He was all alone, on this beach, with no one around. The little reminder had his scowl deepen. He couldn't think about that right now. He needed to find out what the sea felt like. He wanted to know how it felt like, and he, being the Ultimate Lifeform, was going to find out.

With on cautious step, Shadow tipped his foot into the water, going toe first. He blinked at how warm the water felt. The warmth traveled up his leg, running over to his entire body. In some way, this felt relaxing, calming, homey. Wanting to enjoy all that the sea had to give he put his second foot in, this time without hesitation. Shadow looked at the blue-ish green water with half-lidded eyes. His ruby orbs studied how his feet enlarged because of the water. He took a step forward causing the water to reach to his ankles. He closed his eyes taking in the peace that flowed through him currently. There was nothing to worry about, nothing to think about, he could just stand here and enjoy what untouched nature had to offer. And boy, how great the offer was.

For many minutes the ebon hedgehog stood there, his stoic visage softened, enjoying the surrounding elements. It wasn't until later that he started to walk that he went shell collecting. He spotted and stepped on many different types of shells. The clear water also helped in searching for them. There were many ones , from large ones to small ones, fat ones to skinny ones, dull ones to unique ones and he even found shells that still held a living animal. For instance, Shadow was drawn to a clam, one with just a plain white cover. He didn't pick it up, wanting to leave it alone, he just observed it. It didn't do anything. It just laid there to the dark hedgehog's disappointment. So wasn't long until he left it, searching again. He found many other sea life among the shores. It was very intriguing to say and fun, surprisingly. Silver was right. The ocean was a very beautiful habitat.

Okay, he liked the sand at first, but now it was just getting annoying. Especially when there was sand in places it wasn't supposed to be. Shadow growled in irritation as he tried scrubbing, even scratching the sand of his furry limbs. He was so intent and doing so that he took his own gloves off to use his claws. Unfortunately all that did was create scratches along his body. Oh, and don't worry, there was sand in there too.

He groaned after countless of fruitless attempts to rid himself of the sand. Really, he didn't care anymore. The sun was almost abut to set, creating an orange tint and he was exhausted. It might've been from fatigue or maybe even hunger, but Shadow couldn't stand any longer. As he walked, he staggered trying his best as to not stumble over his own feet. Not wanting to humiliate himself, not that anyone was around, in case he tripped he decided to sit. Immediately he sighed as soon as he got comfortable. Shadow propped himself up with his hand which were sitting on the sand behind him. His crimson marked legs were stretched out, feet still bare. Although his gloves and shoes were indeed off, and he was fully naked, he didn't feel uncomfortable. He was in his own world, his own place now. No one was here to bother him

And as he thought about it, he kind of liked the idea.

Solitary was something the male hedgehog was okay with. If he was alone, no one or nothing could hurt him. He would be shut away from the world only depending on himself and himself only. He didn't need to fall on anyone and risk being dropped. If he had legs, he would use them to stand so he wouldn't fall in the first place. It would work like that. It was a simple yet brilliant idea. As long as he kept to himself, there would be no more hurt.

There would be no more misery.

Pain.

Woe.

There would only be silence. Sweet, blissful silence. A type of silence Shadow found himself craving for. There, in his own mind would he be alright. Everything would be okay.

So in reality, he didn't need his family. Or used to be-as of now-family; ex-family for short. There needless emotions were only a burden to him. They hurt and confused his mind to the extent on where he questioned his every judgment. He didn't need to be scolded at for every little thing he did. There was no time for teachings and family gatherings. They were useless in retrospect. What did it do, really? Bring together a group of people who live together only to have all their problems surface? It was illogical, unreasonable, insensible! What was the point of coming out with your feelings if all it brought was pain. Unbearable pain. Pain Shadow only realized could be created by the people closest to his heart.

And for that, he hated them.

This wasn't just between him and Chelsea. Oh no. This was now betwee and D. It took him an unfortunately long amount of time to figure this out, but every tear he shed was because of one them, if not all. Every heart-wrenching pain he felt was created by one of them. They were the only ones responsible for his misery. They were the only ones he knew. Shadow couldn't believe this. What was the point of families anymore? Now that he realized the true outcome of it, he was appalled. He couldn't believe he left himself so vulnerable. He was a baby kitten in a cage filled with bull dogs. And the worst part was he allowed them to attack.

Just as the orange tinted sun was half way set, tear began to prick the ebony, male's eyes. His eyes squeezed shut hoping to dry rid them away, but when he opened his eyes his vision was blurred. It wasn't much longer until the bubbles of hot tears shot down his muzzle as speeding bullets. The thing was, Shadow had no idea the salty water was pouring down his face until his hand met his cheek. He looked upon the dampened fur and glared at it, icily. His hand formed into a fist before roughly wiping away the tears, leaving no traces of what was once on his muzzle.

Why was he crying? He had just uncovered the secret to a painless life and now he's weeping? This didn't make sense. Nothing made sense anymore. Here was Shadow the Hedgehog, eldest of the trio, the Ultimate Lifeform, crying as if he had just been called a bad name. He was strong, not weak. Why was he displaying such a cowardly actions. He'd made up his mind to live in solitude. It was the only way he knew not to get hurt.

So why was there such a large gash in his heart?

Pictures flashed before his crimson orbs, pupils dilating. Images of a smiling azure hedgehog filled his mind. There was a picture of him giving a supporting nod and thumbs up. He displayed that stupid grin he always showed. As the figure faded away a feeling of emptiness lodged itself into the pits of his stomach. Shadow would've never thought this annoying copy would have such an impact.

Next illustrations of a silver furry filled the empty void. Silver's bashful smiles and childish giggles packed itself within his brain. His playful manner and naïve fashion set a protective instinct inside of him. Silver was just someone who you couldn't help but feel protective over and truth be told, he still wanted to.

But then the final picture appeared in the front lobes of his brain were….confusing. Flashes of Chelsea with cocoa-brown skin imprinted in his mind. It made him feel queasy as she smiled and images of her pulling him into an embrace. One where his head lay on her chest the warmth would spread to his body.

He felt his emotions conflict with one another. Sadness with happiness. Pain with relief. Love with hate. It was perplexing. All these colorful pictures clouded his eyes making them seem as if he was in a trance. Things only got harder though. Shadow didn't know what to feel and he didn't know what to do when a voice spoke. One voice he dreaded yet was relieved to hear. One that was way too familiar. One that gave the answer as to why this beach was so damn familiar.

"Shadow, is that really you?"

It was funny how he stayed staring out onto the darkened water, silent. In the back of Shadow's mind he kept screaming at himself. It was stupid to go here. He should've recognized this beach from the start. How could he have been so blind? He wanted to be alone, away from everyone else yet he brings himself to where he would be found. Had he had any sense to just run, he would've been gone by now. Days ago the dark hedgehog had realized how to use the rocket shoes that sat beside him. It was actually simple as one-two-three. It required no thinking, just doing. He would've enjoyed every time he used them, the wind whipping his quills behind him, the feel of cold air smashing against his face. The freedom, the strength.

The solitude.

As that voice, the one that silently tore him furthermore, called out his name again, he couldn't help but growl. Why wouldn't she just go away? Hadn't she gotten the message? He didn't care for her anymore. He was in no way associated with her any longer. If she had thought coming here would get him to go back to her, she was wrong. She was dead wrong. He wasn't going to just forget and forgive. It wasn't that it was hard, he just felt it wasn't necessary for him to do it. What was the point of forgiving someone that would only hurt him again? It was just plain stupid for him to do so.

"Please…"

Her whisper didn't move him. Shadow wasn't at all affected by that sad whisper, that desperate cry. In fact, he almost laughed. If she thought for one minute he was going to give her the satisfactory of forgiving her, she was more idiotic then he thought. He wasn't going to just turn around and hug her, tell her he loved her and move on. Shadow wasn't going to do that. He forbid himself of such an action. It wasn't going to help him later, so no. Sorry, but no. She was just going to have to deal with him ignoring her, no matter how much it hurt her.

The ebony hedgehog's left ear twitched as the softest footstep were made upon the sand. His eyes slanted to a large degree, Shadow bared his fangs and his ears slanted sideways. She was coming over here. She dared to take careful strides towards him. The one who broke, tore and ripped his heart merciless was actually making her way toward him.

The hell!?

As Shadow was just about to turn around, bark at her, the footsteps stopped. From rough calculations he found his estimate to be a foot away. He heard slow and steady breathes of air and one gulp come from the other.

"Shady, baby, please look at me."

How dare she call him that! How dare she call him with such formalities! She had no right to call him such a pet name, such a degrading pet name. If anyone were to just listen in on that particular part, they would have assumed it was just a mother talking to her son. One on one. So loving, so nurturing. It was sickening to him. He cringed each time she called out his name. His fists were balled up, squeezing the sand between them so hard, any harder and he might've joined them together.

She angered him terribly. Each syllabus she pronounced, each vowel and constant she spoke irritated him to no end. It was as if each word that came from her mouth was like nails on a chalkboard. It was an overly used metaphor but it was horrifyingly true. He's had it.

"If you would just-" Chelsea began holding her hands to her chest feeling that was the only way to keep it in its place. But she gasped taking a step back when Shadow, at startling speed, stood up glaring. He glared at her with these eyes, these devil-like eyes. She almost questioned his identity. Was he her child anymore?

She knew, from when she said his name, Shadow was angry beyond belief. So angry, in fact, that word couldn't even began describe the despicable, white, hot, rage that soared through him. Chelsea already accepted the fact he was angry. She expected that. But when a mother hasn't seen their child in over a span of five days, it was heart-breaking to see that they still hated them.

That Shadow still hated her.

The first moment she saw an ebony and crimson spot in the horizon, she rubbed her eyes. Chelsea was known to have her mind display fake pictures, hoaxing her into a cruel hallucination. So she waited five full, torturous minutes before moving towards the spot that gradually got bigger. And finally she saw what brought her to tears…well, actually, no. She was too surprised to cry. Too stunned to speak. This overwhelming feeling rising inn her chest hurt to an indescribable amount. Never had this amount of relief flowed through her veins and arteries. It was hard for the young woman to stop herself from running up to him squeezing his insides out and then slapping him.

Just a hard, backhand, slap on the cheek.

The cheek her lips missed so much.

With her mouth slightly agape, Chelsea longingly stared at the seething hedgehog before her. Her fists were clenched on the middle of her chest and she tilted her head to the side. He was really there. Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform, her eldest child, her baby, was standing right in front of her. He was glaring at her with so much malice, but for the moment it was neither saddening nor joyful. For the time being, she didn't feel anything but allayment. The worst thoughts she had ever had, had floated away leaving in silence. Her baby hedgie was still alive, and that was all she needed to know.

Even as he snarled at her. Chelsea smiled.

He refused to look at her. Shadow would probably blow up and do something horrible if he looked her in the eyes. So he settled for looking right past her head, off where road and sand met. But, didn't he not care what happened to her?

"Why are you here?" he growled, eyes narrowing dangerously. He took a step forward, going out of his comfort zone, but wanting to intimidate her.

She was grateful he acknowledged her. She would take that over being ignored.

"I…." Chelsea trailed off, taking a deep breath. Her nerves were at an all-time high though, she didn't know why. "Shadow," she breathed, "you know why I'm here."

He knew alright. He just didn't want to accept it. Now wasn't the time he wanted to be contained. He wanted his freedom, he liked his freedom. Most of all he favored the freedom away from her.

"I'm not going with you," he snarled ferociously.

Her brown eyes turned glossy. An expression of worry was sketched upon her face. "I know you're angry, sweetie, but…please," Chelsea whispered

Oh, Shadow wasn't angry. Ok, maybe he was, but surprisingly that wasn't the only emotion that made him glare at her with so much hate. The dark hedgehog turned his back on her clenching his fists, tightly. Her plead somehow got into the tiniest of cracks in his heart. His completely shattered heart.

"Just leave me alone. Don't you understand I hate you," he whispered, unclenching his fists, lowering his ears and gazing upon the purple sea. "I don't want anything to do with you," he continued, voice back to a leveled, stone, tone.

Shadow gasped and whipped around as he felt something on his shoulder. For a fraction of a second the limb on his shoulder released warmth that he terribly missed. He almost gave into her hand that he was so used to have his cheek touched with. That loving, though, was roughly shrugged away and a look of disgust etched his features. He stared at her as Chelsea just smiled.

"But in order to hate someone, they have had to be loved," she said. "Shadow please just come-"

He had enough of this.

"No!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "Do you not understand you-you…." he shouted in frustration before continuing, "I am not going back with you, alright!? I am done with-"

"Shadow look at yourself!" Chelsea cried. "You're a complete mess. I can just tell by looking at you that you haven't eaten anything, at all." Tears started to pool in the young woman's eyes as she observed the hedgehogs form.

The ebon hedgehog blinked at the spot past her. His head slowly looked towards his torso, and surprisingly enough, she was right. Shadow looked underfed. Not drastically underfed, but underfed. He was already skinny before but, as of now, he could see his ribs poking from the loose skin underneath. His once sleek and shiny ebon fur was covered in dirt and grime. His tuft of fur on his chest was 50 shades off of white, almost a sickly cream color. The thin limbs he owned were now so thin he could see parts of the bones underneath. Shadow hadn't had the thought of viewing himself considering how he couldn't. He didn't know he was this bad, maybe this was why he always felt tired and exhausted.

He shook his head. Nevertheless, no matter how bad he looked, he wasn't going to give in. He was done with her. He was done with his family.

He. Was. Not. Going. Back.

"So," he shouted back, "I'm fine anyway. Just go away. Leave me be!"

"I'm not going to leave unless you're coming with me. You are going to come back with me even if that means dragging you back to the car you idiot," Chelsea bellowed. She scowled, fed up with everything. She wanted him back home. She wanted him back. She wanted him back in her arms. A place where she would always know he was safe from harm.

Shadow's ruby orbs glowed with anger. He bared his fangs at her snarling. "If you won't leave, then I am." He turned swiftly walking away. Of course, Chelsea gripped his bony wrist. She spun him around matching his icy glare. Tears were threatening to fall.

"Shadow the Hedgehog stop this foolishness and get your butt in that car! Now!"

"You are no longer in the position to order me arou-"

Chelsea narrowed her eyes. She roughly grabbed his face, bringing them to hers. Shadow growled at first, squirming, shouting for her to let go. Then when he looked into her eyes….

Well, he couldn't really explain much.

First of all, all previous movements ceased. Shadow just stood there, arms limp. His narrowed eyes widened and blinked so slowly. His hardened expression turned to one of total blankness. Those ruby eyes of his softened considerably and his lips were slightly apart. When he looked into those soft, warm, desperate, angry swirling pools of emotions, he didn't know what to do. Something inside of him just cracked with each passing second. All traces of anger fled his body, and he didn't understand why. His broken heart, hurt so much worse. It felt as if it had been set on fire after being torn merciless. Something in his stomach dropped and his throat felt dry and scratchy.

What was happening? Why did he feel so warm yet so frightened? Those eyes bored into him, looking into him, invading every memory he had. He barely had time to realize Chelsea's arms snake around his neck bringing his head to her shoulder.

"Now you listen to me here you stupid hedgehog."

He gasped, still not comprehending the situation.

Chelsea made sure her mouth was by his ear. Tears were already cascading down her cheeks making them go hot. Each warm tear dripped onto the dark hedgehog's shoulder.

"No matter how much you hate me, I will always be your mother. I don't care what you think or how you act. You will always be my son, alright?" Her voice was watery and broken. It cracked every so often as she held him tighter, not caring that he just stood there, limply.

"I know I've hurt you. I know I have and…and I just want you back," she sobbed, "I promise, I'll fix everything if you just come back Shadow. I can't do this anymore if you're not here. I shouldn't have said all those things. I've broken you. I don't deserve your forgiveness but I want you back. We're not the same without you. Why did you just leave? Don't you know what you did to us!? You inconsiderate hedgehog! Just come back with me. "

Shadow had his chin on her shoulder. He stared ahead, thoughts swirling inside as well as feelings. What was this? Her words were confusing and….and hurtful. It hurt him so much to hear her like this. But wasn't he supposed to enjoy that she was talking like this. Like a broken spirit at its limits. Wasn't he supposed to be furious with her? With all she did and said to him? Then why was he so broken and torn about her voice? Why did he feel as if his throat was constricted? His stomach was in knots and his eyes stung. Why did his arms encircle her racking form? Why did his nails dig into her skin because he wanted to hold her so tightly? Why did he clench his eyes and mouth shut tightly?

Why were tears falling?

Well, there was an infinite amount of answers that could be given for each question. But I think this answer could sum it up.

It was because he wanted her back also.

Shadow could deny it all he wanted. He could write it as a law that he would forever hate the woman in his arms, but he would only break it. Deep down, in the depths of his heart, he always loved his mother. Chelsea was forever engraved in his heart, mind and soul. Once he had imprinted on her, she was stuck to him. There was no way he could ever forget about her. She was the one that held him whenever he had nightmares, or fell ill, got hurt, or just because he wanted to be held. From day one, she held him and loved him. And he was too ignorant to see it. He missed her laugh, her smile, her voice, her hands, feet, arms, legs, face, hair, eyes; anything that was related to her.

He missed his momma.

"Momma," he whispered. Then all of sudden, violent sobs tore through his throat. His sore throat ached as he dropped to his knees, gripping her waist. He didn't want to be alone anymore. He didn't want to be away from her, Sonic or Silver. He wanted to be back in their arms where the love was unlimited.

Chelsea dropped to the ground hugging him tightly.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." She pulled back, cupping his face, smoothing her thumb across his cheeks. Their eyes entwined, both overflowing with salty tears. The young woman's brows furrowed together as Shadow's lip trembled. "Oh Shadow, please forgive me," she whispered.

Shadow placed his head back in her chest wrapping his arms around her neck. "I'm sorry!" he wailed. "I-I don't…I can't-"

He fell apart crying. His fist bunched up taking some of her hair. His legs curled in, as he sat in her lap. Chelsea, tears pouring down her face, had a soft smile placed on her lips. She rubbed his back, cradling him. She then kissed his forehead, placing her chin on top of his head.

"Shh," she shushed. Her lids shut, bottom lip trembling. "Just… just let me hold you."

He did just that, letting his head push against her bosom, muffling his cries. His ears laid flat against his head and he clutched onto her just as he did when he was younger. Shadow shook with each sob also shaking her. He never wanted to be away from her again. He wanted to stay in her arms forever. He wanted to stay in a place where he felt safe from harm.

He just wanted to stay like this.

* * *

**Sonic, Silver, Shadow and Chelsea: Wow...**

**SunLove: Yeah...**

_I think that sums it up._

Thank You **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


	20. Just Let it Out

**Sonic: Yolo, yolo, yolo, yolo, yolo**

**Shadow: Would you shut it, hedgehog!**

**Sonic: Yolo**

**Silver: Why am I related to him again?**

**SunLove: Because I said so.**

**Disclaimer: I own no one except for my OCs.**

* * *

Chapter 20: Just Let it Out

His eye lids were shut tight and he was snug in his bed, his bed that he missed so much. The ebon hedgehog's head was placed on the softest pillow he had ever slept on in days and his body was wrapped in fluffy sheets, caressing him to sleep. Shadow had eaten, he had taken a shower and now all he needed to do was rest. Right when the four got back from there long, silent, tearful drive home, he went straight to the shower. All it took was for him to smell himself and there would be no questions asked. After that long, endless, blissful shower he silently went to the table and sat himself down. Not a second later was there food right in front of him. Choosing to not waste one moment, he hungrily ate it in silence.

All he remembered from then was the house being really silent. Not one word was spoken between them except for what his mother said.

_We'll talk about this when we've rested. _

She hadn't left it at that, she said her goodnights and secretly urged the young dark hedgehog to sleep with her for the night, but he declined. As much as he wanted for her to hold him he felt he needed to think things through. Everything happened so fast that he couldn't really process much.

Relaying on everything, he didn't know what he was thinking. He couldn't remember why he walked out. All he remembered was white hot rage coursing through ever vein in his body, to the point to where he wasn't thinking clearly. Every action he went through with was pure impulse. Not one single thought was going through his mind in that time period. He was just angry. So angry. Angry at Chelsea, Sonic, Silver, the world, God! He hated everything and everyone in sight, mind or existence. It was just rage controlling him at that time. Just rage.

But now, he wasn't feeling anything. Right now, he just…felt. He felt no emotion, no expression. It was like he was relaxed but in order to be relaxed he couldn't have 101 things running through his mind. But he wasn't tense either. It was hard to put it into words. He was just lying on his bed, comfortable. It was just that. Nothing else.

Shadow turned on his other side and sighed heavily. He changed his mind. Now was not the time to think things through. It was the time to sleep, truly sleep and rest. He needed to regain his lost energy. He needed to regain himself back, that would take time, but he would. Tomorrow would be a hard day. He could tell already. But he shouldn't think about that now.

He just needed to sleep.

(0…)

"It's been forever, let's just go."

"No way, he'll wake up soon. It's been awhile."

"Why do you even want to talk to him?"

"Because he- hey! Look he's waking up!"

A groggy groan left the ebony hedgehog's lips as the sun light slammed his eyelids. The amount of eye light on his morning sensitive eyes almost made the young hedgehog growl and hiss. Shadow turned over to shield his eyes. He put his face into his pillow, clutching it.

"Hey, buddy! Don't go back to sleep! We've been waiting for hours!"

An immediate growl left his mouth. He was still hazy from sleep and the voice was unknown to him. Even so, he wasn't up for hearing voices that annoyed him for a nameless reason. The dark male just turned over and put the pillow over his head, covering himself up.

"Aww come on Shads. Don't be like that. We need you to get up before mom does."

Shadow had enough. He wasn't feeling up to it this morning. Without any hesitation he sprang up and glared menacingly. He pulled his lips back, snarling and whipped his head around to face his two brothers.

His two brothers…..

Instantly he dropped his grouchy attitude. There in front of him were his two brothers, just like he remembered; one blue and one white. Five days could really do something to a person. Shadow looked to his hands in embarrassment. How could he have acted so unfriendly after what he just did? He ran away, leaving them wounded, and this was how he acted after coming back?

"Oh," he breathed out twiddling his thumbs. Shadow looked back at them, the inside of his brows rising in an apologetic tone. Sonic smiled reassuringly knowing where he came from. He shrugged dismissively, "Don't worry about it. Everyone's crabby in the morning." He rubbed his neck looking towards the floor. A pink color tinting his cheeks. "I'm just glad that you're here and not….well, wherever you were."

For several minutes the room was heavy with silence, tense silence. Every hedgehog averted their gazes. It wasn't until Sonic said, "Can we talk to you before mom does?" that everyone looked at him. Shadow's ruby orbs flickered over to the youngest of the three and his eyes widened. He hadn't even realized the stance and demeanor of Silver. It wasn't a good one though. Silver stood behind the azure hedgehog, arms crossed and eyes half covered in anger. His deep scowl was hard to miss and the way he glared at him the second his eyes laid upon his….

Well, let's just say Shadow never knew how he was still alive today.

It was off having Silver, the only being he thought incapable of getting angry, be livid with him. It took a lot to make the silver male upset, like, over the top upset. Usually he would get mad over petty little things but would forget about it the next second. He was more of a peaceful person. He didn't like getting angry. So Shadow knew he screwed up, terribly.

His eyes fluttered back to the hopeful hedgehog and he somehow managed to squeak a yes. His brother's bright smile lifted some of the weight off his heavy conscience. Shadow didn't show a smile but he just lowered himself to the floor, crossing his legs. The other two followed suit. Sonic's emerald eyes crossed over to Silver's and seemed to be having a silent conversation which ultimately ended in Sonic sighing and Silver grunting. The cerulean hedgehog looked over to Shadow and smiled again.

"Shadow, I know this might be too much of a touchy subject but-"

Silver scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Don't sugar coat it Sonic," he glared at Shadow who blinked, "How'd you get the stupid idea to leave?"

"Silver!" Sonic exclaimed, frowning.

"What?" the metallic colored furry shot back, "Don't you realize what he's done!?"

By this time, Silver was up on his feet fuming. Shadow was almost sure his whole body would turn red any second. The blue male stood up and scowled at his younger brother. "I know your mad Silver but that gives you no reason to be so rude."

"I'm not going to sit here and just act as if everything's normal Sonic," he shouted. His golden eyes glared towards Shadow with untainted hatred.

"Give him a break. He just got home no less than 12 hours ago."

Silver scoffed. "Give him a break. I would like to break something of his alright," he muttered, rolling his eyes. He then bellowed, "I don't know if you've noticed but I can't-" he turned his gaze back to the dark hedgehog who was speechless, "You are the most selfish person I know. How could you!? Look what you did!"

Unbeknownst to Silver their mother came entering through the door with concerned eyes. She peered through darting her tired eyes between the trio.

"Silver!" Sonic cried out having to block Silver from his path. He advanced towards the black and crimson striped hedgehog in fury. "Calm down!"

He back off as Silver pushed him off. His breathing was heavy and tears spilled out of his lids. Silver shook his head in frustration and stormed out of the room. Before he slammed the door, to his room, he screamed, "Why don't you just go back to where you were. I bet you loved it there!"

And that was it.

All that was left was silence, dead silence. The heavy breathing of the azure hedgehog was drowned out compared to the amount of intensity left in the room. It was so unpleasantly silent that it screamed in their ears, ringing at an unbearable decibel. Sonic ran a hand through his quills and sighed heavily finding the situation a bit too much to handle.

"What happened," their mother's voice croaked, raspy.

She walked towards the two remaining only to have answers of silence, for a second. Chelsea stood next to Sonic peering at him for answers. The cerulean shook his head sadly. They both looked over to the shadowy hedgehog to see him glower at the floor a few feet in front of him. Shadow's ruby irises then traveled up to meet their gazes and he cringed inwardly at their troubled expressions. Slowly, he arose and bowed his head, but he somehow kept his strong stance.

"I think…I think I've caused much distress towards Silver. I believe I am the one to blame," he said lowly. Each word made him hurt, badly.

Chelsea shook her head reaching towards him and grabbing his arms. "Baby, he's just upset. Silver will calm down soon-"

"No mother," he sighed stepping away from her hold, "He won't. And I do not expect him to. I've brought undeniable pain to this family. I don't-"

"Hey Shads. Don't get so down. Everything will be alright in the end. I promise. Don't think like that," Sonic cheered giving a peppy smile.

"I just-I just don't want to-" his voice cracked. Shadow scowled at himself for being so weak. Chelsea looked over to Sonic and scrunched her brows together. Sonic looked them over and said, "I'm going to go see if Silver's calm. I'll be back." He scurried off leaving the two alone.

Chelsea, once more, reached over and grabbed Shadow's hand. He observed her, grabbing her hand tightly. She led him to the bed and they both sat by each other. Chelsea gasped when Shadow suddenly leaned over to her and out his head in her lap. He encircled his arms around her waist and buried his head in her stomach, ears sinking down.

"He hates me mother. They both hate me," he whispered.

"No they do not," she said.

"There's no use in denying it. It's obvious Silver does and I know Sonic does too. He's trying to hold it in."

The young woman rubbed tiny circles on the back of his back and massaged his ear. It was amazing how a strong, independent, cocky, dark guy like him could turn into such vulnerable child. Chelsea smiled painfully at him. She leaned down and kissed his head.

"You do realize it was very wrong of you to run away, right? You gave me-us-quite the scare," she whispered softly.

Shadow took his head out of her stomach to face her. His watered eyes were hard to look at. She stroked his muzzle with her thumb and sighed.

"I'm sorry mother. I didn't mean to do any of this," the slight heart ache he had multiplied by 100. His bottom lip trembled but he held in the tears. "I didn't mean to call you that name and I do love you mother. I do, you have to believe me."

"Shh, baby, I know you didn't mean to. I know, I know. I love you too, alright? But what you did, it was hard for all of us honey." Chelsea grabbed a hold of his head and brought him to her chest. He wrapped his arms around her neck and trembled within her hold. "It was really hard and I think Silver took it the hardest. You know how much he cares about you."

"Are you being realistic, he despises me. He doesn't even want me here," Shadow sobbed.

"You know that's not true."

"Yes it is."

"Well, Shadow," she needed to say this, "maybe it's right for him to hate you because I think you've hurt him."

"I know I have, I ran away and-"

"No," Chelsea interrupted, "That's not what I mean." Shadow uncovered his face full of tears and hummed in confusion. He looked so much like a child; part of it was because he still was even if he was 17. He still needed to be held and cradled like one. And he still needed to be treated as such.

"Shadow, you know he looks up to you more than Sonic. He sees you as the perfect person. There were many times where he's told me he wants to be like you. Have you noticed every time you acknowledged him for something his eyes would light up? When you left, he took it as a sign of you not wanting to do anything with him. He saw your leave as a rejection. And no matter how small it seems in your eyes, he did not take that rejection well, baby."

The crimson marked hedgehog rubbed his eyes. "I didn't know that I was such an importance to Silver-anyone. I thought everyone just thought of me as….well, someone of unimportance."

The dark-skinned woman chuckled. She hugged him tightly and said, "Well, that was stupid to think. Didn't you just see what happened?"

"Yeah."

"Now come on. We have to fix things. Actually," she poked his chest hair causing him to snatch her hand away from the sensitive spot. Chelsea laughed at the smile he was trying to contain. "You have to fix things mister. I'm sure Silver will forgive you if you apologize."

They got up and Shadow gave her one last hug and kissed her cheek before pushing past her and traveling to his brother's room. Before entering he smiled a genuine one. One filled with happiness and gratitude the size of the sun.

"Thank you, momma."

Chelsea had never felt her heart burst with so much mirth before.

(0…)

Sonic huffed at Silver. He was stubborn, more so than anyone he's ever met. He wouldn't let his grudge go and that had his mind reeling. Silver doesn't hold grudges. It just wasn't in his nature. At least he hasn't held a grudge this big. He barely wanted to say the older hedgehog's name, Sonic understood his anger and everything, but he was confused as to why he wasn't the least bit happy about his arrival. After all, he too had expressed his need for Shadow to come back.

"I don't get it Silver. Why can't you at least be happy he's back? He could've never been found!" he exclaimed.

Silver glared at the floor, arms crossed and lips in a pout. He sat on his bed fumbling and fuming. His scowl was deep and his breathes screamed: He's gone ballistic! "Well that was before."

Sonic rolled his eyes. One of these days…. "Before what?"

"Before I saw his face," he bluntly said, grunting.

_Talk about rude._ Sonic couldn't believe what he was hearing not only did this not make sense, but it also was really mean. He sighed rubbing his temples. What could he do now? Whatever reason that hedgehog had in his little tiny brain was lodged deep in there. If there was going to be any progress he needed to get level with him.

"Okay, you are not making sense buddy. Tell me exactly why you absolutely despise Shadow. I mean you wouldn't even give the poor guy the time of day."

"It's simple," Silver snorted, "He left, thinking that he was too good for this family and abandoned us. I bet you if we still haven't found him today, he would've been happier. It doesn't look like he cares anyway. He's still so arrogant and rude."

"Like you,"

"Shut up," his focus on the azure hedgehog sharpened, "What I mean is that he doesn't care about us. He never has. He's so spoiled. He-"

"Silver," Sonic's tone mellowed out and turned soft, "at least use his name."

The other just continued. "He's-he's just so irritating!"

"I know."

The deep voice that cut through the air forced the two heads to whip around and lay their eyes on the crimson splashed male. Shadow's stoic expression contrasted greatly with the emotion swirling his cherry orbs. As Silver's surprised stare turned into a stiff, icy, scowl, he sighed heavily. Shadow needed to get through this. He had to try his best to regain his brother's love and trust. I mean, Silver couldn't hate him forever.

Hopefully.

After giving himself a pep talk, mentally, Shadow stared straight on and into the frosty unforgiving golden orbs in front of him. As he always said to himself; it was better to take it straight on then cower behind. "I know and I'm sorry."

"What do you want?" Silver sneered and only looked away as Sonic said his name warningly.

Emerald green irises flowed over to the dark hedgehog apologetically. Shadow shook his head and managed to raise his lips into a tiny smile. He gazed back to the silver furry's back.

"I came to apologize to you Silver. You have to realize I didn't mean to hurt you," Shadow said, his voice straight and monotone. His eyes widened by a fraction as Silver whipped around, fists to his side.

"Well you wouldn't have left in the first place if you didn't intend to hurt anyone," he crossed his arms, "And why do you think you hurt me? If you hurt anyone you hurt mom. I bet you were too selfish to think of that when you left."

"Okay, that's enough! Silver you're being rude. Really rude," Sonic exclaimed fed up with his attitude. "This isn't like you. What's going on with you?"

The other hedgehog rolled his eyes. "I just explained it to you. Did you not hear?"

"I heard, but it didn't make sense."

"Well then that's your problem," Silver snorted.

"You know what? I don't care anymore," Sonic shouted turning his back on Silver. He walked towards Shadow and stood beside him. "Why do you want to apologize to him anyway? He's being so stubborn," he asked him.

Shadow looked between the two. Somehow, someway, the fight between him and Silver had turned to a fight between Sonic and Silver, Sonic straying to his side of the party. He didn't want it to be that way. Normally he would've liked it that his side had the overwhelming majority but this was different. He was different, somewhat. Seeing Silver's back turned on them and angry just didn't feel right. In fact he felt horrible. Not only had he cause him to undergo so much sadness but he managed to tear his other brother away from Silver.

Wasn't he supposed to be fixing things? Because right now, all he's just doing is tearing them further apart.

"Silver," he spoke quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, "Please forgive me?"

"Why should I?" he responded harshly.

There was only one answer he could give. The answer didn't sound smart in his head or when it was said aloud, but it was the most genuine answer he could give.

"Because I need you too," he replied.

A disbelieving, mock worthy laugh left Silver's pale, salmon colored, lips. He turned around smiling and smile with no happiness. "You are too funny." His smile dropped and he scowled, deeply. "Now that you've suddenly felt guilty for leaving, you need me to forgive you? Well you know what? It doesn't work that way. Everything just doesn't get handed to you on a silver platter."

He felt his heart pound against his chest in guilt, suppressing guilt. It weighed his shoulders down and caused him to lunge forward, forgetting any type of composure he had. The feeling of hurting Silver brought on more than he could handle surprisingly. Again, it took a lot for Silver to be this angry with anyone and if you accomplished this type of emotion to rise within him, well, you would feel horrible. At least, that's what Shadow felt, horrible.

"I realize that, Silver. I know that I have been acting like a spoiled child and I understand your frustration. It's just that, it only took me till now to realize my behavior and I can't express how terrible I feel." He took a step forward studying if any movement would surface from the other. "I've hurt you haven't I? I've caused you to hold pain. But I don't know how I've cause it. Could you explain?"

Silver's eyebrow quirked. "Like I've said, you're so spoiled. The little thing, the littlest thing Shadow, will set you off!" he too took a step forward. "Ever since we were little all you would do was pout or glower when something didn't go your way. I've tried to be nice about it and just ignore it but I can't do it anymore. I can't believe you would run away! I looked up to you so much."

He didn't know this. He hadn't realized this. Shadow let his arms go limp and a look of pure shock was placed on his face. "Silver," he breathed.

The younger hedgehog shook his head. "No. Stop. I used to think you were so great, so…so… I don't know, but I admired you, a lot. Everything you did and how you acted so mature, I marveled it. Like the time mom went to work and Sonic fell in the pool. You were so calm about it and I was freaking out because I thought he would drown. I thought it was amazing how you were able to keep your head while one of our brothers almost died."

"Silver I-"

He shook his head. "I'm not done yet," his voice was watery. "I admired you until you suddenly changed. It was if you turned five again. Every time something annoyed you, you would blow up. You would make everyone feel horrible only to make yourself feel good." By this time Silver's voice had raised, considerably. Shiny tears pricked the corner of his lids as he spoke. "I don't get it Shadow. Why? Why did you leave? Did you hate us that much? Were we that undesirable?"

Silver finally broke. He out his head in his hands and sobbed. His shoulders trembled with each one and he stood there, knees trembling. "I-I don't get it," he wailed.

The three hedgehogs stood in the room. The air was silent all except for the cries of the silver furry. The two darker hedgehogs stared guiltily and worriedly at the youngest of the three. Sonic looked over to Shadow who only stared. 1001 thoughts and emotion rumbled through the eldest until he couldn't tell the difference between thought and felling. All he could do at the moment was breathe and stare. The weight of the world fell atop of his shoulders as he watched, wincing. It might never be revealed later, but to actually be the cause of making one of the ones he held closest cry was big. It was as if he held the scissors that cut this family apart.

He had not only tore the heart of his younger sibling away, but the rest of the family also. The night before he slept, as he staggered to his room, Shadow couldn't help but notice his azure brother's room. It was completely a mess. Out of pure curiosity, Shadow allowed himself to venture throughout the torn and ravished room. Except for a couple spots here and there, there were pictures with him cut or torn away from the rest. Books and pages were ripped and shredded leaving their remnants trashed on the floor. He still roamed around astounded at how trashed the room was, but when he got to the mirror, he couldn't help but gasp. The mirror was shattered, cracked beyond repair. From his view he could see himself distorted.

Much like Sonic saw himself.

In shock he left without a word or disturbance.

Right there and then Shadow knew he was the cause of such destruction. There was no telling otherwise.

The darker hedgehog found himself creeping towards the sobbing boy. With each step his heart grew frailer and it almost burst as he stood right in front. He couldn't really tell if that was Sonic standing next to him, his inaudible breathes on his arm, but he didn't take notice. Instead, Shadow arms encircled Silver, carefully. His thin limbs were loose for second before he tightened them to where Silver was securely on his chest. Shadow closed his eyes as felt another pair of arms snake from behind the silver furry.

The three hedgehogs sank to the floor, to their knees, in each other's arms. All that was there was their comforting arms around the trembling one. Shadow and Sonic sank their heads onto and into Silver's. It was a quiet moment for the trio and a moment they would probably forget but for now they just wanted to be close.

Shadow's lids opened halfway before closing again. He nuzzled his head deeper into their embrace not wanting the tears that cascaded down his cheeks to show. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, voice breaking.

And that was it.

* * *

**SunLove: So, whad'ya think?**

**Sonic: Meh...you could've done better.**

**Shadow: Needs much more elaboration.**

**Silver: The chapter could've been posted sooner.**

**SunLove: I know...(sigh)**

Thank You. **R&R**

_**~God Bless You~**_


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